Naming and organising files and folders
Overview
Ahhh! You know that feeling of satisfaction when that digital file you looked for is exactly where you expected it to be, i.e., in the 'right' place? That satisfaction may be on a micro or macro scale, but it reinforces a crucial point about being digitally organised.
Being organised helps us feel less stressed in work and personal lives. If you find yourself in spaces where you need to work with an ever-growing number of files, then having a system for organising them is a small but significant way to making your day much easier.
Additionally, if you are working with others and need to share files or at least share the location they sit in, having a clearly understood structure that is easy to stick to will mean less confusion in your group.
Simply put, having a consistent, logical structure means one less thing to think about and one less roadblock between you and getting the work done! Following are some principles to follow for organising those files.
Getting started
Definitions
First, let us define some terms:
File: these are the digital items you create, use and share. They could be text-based files (e.g., Word documents), image files (e.g., JPG files), video files (e.g., MP4), audio files (e.g., WAV), or something else. Either way, these files need to be stored somewhere that is easily accessible and the name of the files needs to effectively communicate what the file is for.
Folder: Folders are the places where files are stored. A folder can contain one or multiple files, or even none (i.e., the folder is empty). The folder needs to be in a logical place with a name that immediately communicates what the user can expect to find inside.
Subfolder: A folder that sits within another folder, indicating a hierarchical relationship where the folder that is within the other folder is related to but narrower or more specific than the containing folder. Both folders may contain files or not.
Structure: a. Structure here relates to the concept behind how the files, folders and sub-folders are named and arranged, i.e., organised.
Creating folders and subfolders
Regardless of the operating system you are using, there should be the ability to create and move files and folders. If you’re not sure how to create a new folder, here is the advice for Windows and for MacOS.
Creating filenames
There are several best practice principles for filenames that help provide clarity, consistency, and logic to this potentially highly subjective task. Keep the below in mind when you are creating your own files and you’ll find yourself falling into ‘good’ habits!
Dates in filenames The global standard ISO 8601 specifies the date format that should be used, if date is to be part of the filename. ISO 8601 calls for the following format for dates: YYYYMMDD. In a filename this would look like this example: 20220831
You may like to put the date at the start of your file. This will help put the ‘newest’ version of a file at the top of a folder’s directory. This is because the default sort option for most folders is to sort by filename (i.e., alphabetically, A-Z), which means that ‘bigger’ numbers will automatically be at the top of a folder’s file directory.
Keep filenames short but descriptive and specific “Project.pdf” is short, but could it be perhaps a little more descriptive? It might make sense as a filename in its context (e.g., if the folder the file sits in has a clear, specific name) but otherwise it’s hard to know exactly what it is – it seems that it relates to a project (which one?) but what is actually in that project file? The only way to know is to open it and that is an unnecessary waste of time.
Specificity helps with the above as well – terms like “general” or “miscellaneous” don’t tell someone much about what that file is for.
Avoid special characters To control for variations in software (including versions), it is usually best to stick with alphanumeric characters in filenames, i.e., letters and numbers. Using other characters like # % ^ $ etc. may cause problems when moving between software or devices.
Version numbers Version numbering might be a useful component of your filenames, even if you aare working on something solo. This could be communicated through the inclusion of “V” somewhere in the filename followed by the version number; for example: 20220831 Project Update V01.docx.
Note that the use of two-digit numbers after the V (e.g., 01, 02, etc.) means that the files will stay in the ‘right’ order (like with the use of dates as the first part of a filename, as above).
Discuss and document conventions When collaborating, it is important that everyone understands how filenames will be created. Having everyone in the team understand and use the same filename conventions will make for a more efficient workplace. Therefore, it makes sense to communicate in the team about filenames and come to an agreement on what protocols will be followed. As part of this communication process, these protocols should be documented and shared with the team, so that they are available for reference when needed.
Consider using a README file A README file is a document included with each project that introduces and explains a project, helping colleagues and your future self navigate your way through a past project.
If you are working on files as part of a larger team there may be local conventions which you will of course need to follow, even where they conflict with the above principles – or you could perhaps take the initiative and use these principles as a chance to suggest improvement! Communication is always an issue in teams or organisations, and filenames are a form of communication, so why not seize the opportunity to improve team communication by getting everyone on the same page, filename-wise?
Tips for organisational hygiene
Principles for file and folder organisation
Be consistent and logical There are several options for organising files. One of these is to use a hierarchy, where files sit within folders. These folders may have subfolders within them which relate to the folder but are intended to contain narrower or more specific files.
Avoid duplication or ambiguous naming
Make a decision and make it clear, so that future you will be grateful This requires some self-discipline, in the sense of sticking to a goal that you set previously. Keeping yourself ‘in line’ and following the principles will be a time saver later on.
Plan ahead
Spending some time now could save you lots of time later When creating a new folder – perhaps you have just started a new project? – spending some time at the beginning to anticipate the folders and sub-folders you might need, and then actually creating them so that they’re empty and ready to go when needed, will help with creating a structure that is logical and organised.
The siren’s call of Documents (or Desktop or Downloads or…)
Promise yourself that temporary truly is temporary This refers to the temptation to put files in either the ‘closest empty space’ (e.g., Documents or Desktop) or to leave them where you found them, even if these places are intended as temporary storage spaces or otherwise do not contain related files or folders.
Clean up after yourself
Archive or delete as necessary Your organisation may have policies around retention of files, and these may be driven by legal requirements. It is a very good idea to follow those policies! However, this doesn’t stop you from cleaning up as you go along. Instead of allowing a folder to become filled with old files that you are unlikely to open again any time soon, put them into an Archive folder so you have space to focus on what you are using now. In addition, take a good look at what is there. Is some of it OK to delete? Perhaps there are initial drafts of reports that have been superseded, or maybe you have screenshots that are now out of date, or a spreadsheet you started but never finished and then ended up doing something else anyway?
Follow digital decluttering principles Digital decluttering is the idea that we need to declutter our digital lives just as we might our ‘physical’ lives. Read more about digital decluttering and consider what it might mean for your style of digital house-keeping, particularly in relation to organising files.
References and further reading
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