Apr 1

Apr 1 Pro-Tips for Computer File Organization

Does the sight of a massively cluttered computer desktop screen totally stress you out? If so, below are some tips for computer file organization that have proven successful for me as a digital creative.

You know how it goes, as a digital creative (or even a really busy businessperson) we are on our computers for hours at a time. We are often juggling between working on complex projects, while at the same time downloading important documents off email, and saving funny meme’s off our social medias. Before you know it, our computer desktop looks like an icon jungle! And many times computer file organization is the last thing we have time for. Here are some quick tips that I hope can help you with your computer file organization. They are proven winners for me.

Top Seven Tips For Computer File Organization

Tip #1: Create a desktop “to sort and file” folder. Think of this folder as your real desks “in box.” I most often use this to park files at the end of the day if I don’t have the time (or energy) to clean up my desktop. I highly advocate trying this it is a great promoter of productivity to see a clear desktop at the start of a new work day. Just be sure you schedule time to empty out the folder before it gets too overwhelming.

Tip #2: Establish a filing folder hierarchy that works for you! Don’t fall into the trap of setting up generic filing systems. Work to refine what works for you—your specific tasks, your workflow and your personality. The more specific it is, the more effective it will be.

For example, when I set up mine, for the first (or highest, macro) tier, I divided my life into “buckets”—business, creative, personal and volunteering. And then I broke those categories down into more specific sub files such as clients, financials, and branding.

Tip#3: Choose a specific naming convention and then stick to it! Again, this should be something that is unique to what is most efficient for you. Try to think of what your “default” file name would be and then apply that rule to all files.

Some people are very particular about a date (d/m/y) name label. While others prefer a name with a version number. I label my files in text only, lower caps, something that is most simply reflective of what the document actually is. So if I’ve made a YouTube thumbnail, for example, I label it, AltonDogWalkThumb. But then I also make sure I file it in the folder for that video. If for some reason I forget or it gets misfiled, doing a search of words related to that image should find it in search.

Tip#4: Don’t download everything. What?? Yep, you read correctly. One way to avoid computer clutter is to be more selective in what you actually save to your computer. One feature I love in my email client is the right click “quick look attachment” feature. It allows you to view a document without downloading it to your computer.

Tip #5: Don’t save every document. And so once you have had a quick view of the file, even if you need to download it temporarily, don’t save it to your computer. Let your email be an archive. Sometimes the search capabilities of your email are superior to what your computer can provide.

Tip #6: Sort through your files more quickly. When sorting computer files, get through it faster by utilizing your computers meta columns. You can batch sort by name, date and even type of file! It really cuts down on the time, rather than having to go through each file individually

Tip #7: Of course my final tip is the tip that if not followed will make the prior six pretty much irrelevant. The fact is that if you want to corral your digital computer clutter for the long haul you must develop consistent habits. Making the time every day, or at least several times a week, to clean off that desktop is what will keep the whole system working. Of course the more often you do it, the less time it will take!

** Bonus tip** This tip I just discovered recently myself, but unfortunately I only know if it from working on the Apple OS system. In preferences you can turn on a label that shows how many files are in every folder. I like this because if I am doing a big sort with multiple files or folders, it helps insure I don't’ accidentally delete a folder that has stuff in it, but that I thought was empty!

The Computer File Organization Work is Worth It

So there you have it! I hope these tips are helpful for you. It seems like a lot of work, but in my experience it is well worth it. I know there are some folks who swear they thrive in chaos (my hubby is one of them) but at some point even the most functional chaos will get overwhelming, and it will cost you time, money and stress. There is no better feeling for me than when I go to look for a computer file, and find it quickly and easily.