As you download or sort the content into folders, extract it (if zipped up) and delete anything you won't use, then catalog the rest in a spreadsheet. You don't need to catalog every file unless that will be useful to you, but keeping the name of the pack and notes on the content will allow you to easily know if you want to look at a particular pack for the project you are doing. My catalog spreadsheet is ________________________________________ Potential fields to use in your spreadsheet: Vendor Pack name Price paid Date purchased Topic Content type Content notes When/where used
FONTS
FONTS Fonts are tricky to manage because you generally need to keep licensing information as well as the font itself. And you may find you have thousands of fonts so it's difficult to remember and find your favorites. There's no right and wrong way to organize them, but you do need a system so that you can easily find your favorites. Don't overload applications with a heap of unused fonts by keeping all the fonts you download in a folder away from your system fonts folder. My font system folder is ____________________________ My font repository is _______________________________ As you add fonts to your repository, delete any fonts you won't use. And also do this if you start to use a font and find it doesn't work out, for example, you like most of the letters but there are a couple of consonants which you find ugly. Keep purchased and commercial use fonts separate from those you downloaded for personal use only to avoid copyright issues. If you need to know the provenance of each font, create folders based on that category. Then create descriptive folders based on font types including: Serif San Serif Slab Display Script Decorative Symbols
FONT MANAGEMENT NOTES
Alternatively, use a font management app to create and manage your collection. The advantage these apps often have is the ability to activate and deactivate fonts without deleting them from the systems folder so that you can keep graphics programs from being overloaded by unused fonts. Keep a smaller group of your favorite fonts active, and add new ones as you use them, deactivating if they will only be used for one project. The font management app I will use is ___________________________ FONTS MOST FREQUENTLY USED TYPE FONT
GRAPHICS
GRAPHIC ASSETS Graphic assets (such as, illustrations, brushes, patterns, stock photos) you use professionally should be organized separately from personal photos. Store licensing information with the asset. Create folders for each vendor you get graphic assets from and within these create folders for each type or just use the type of asset and add provenance to the file name. For example, if you get most of your assets from a few places then you could create folders for each vendor, and below that divide between illustrations, photos, brushes, gradients etc. If you have a lot of assets in one category make further folders to describe the content for example CREATIVE MARKET > PATTERNS > DOTTED CREATIVE MARKET > PATTERNS > STRIPES CREATIVE MARKET > PATTERNS > FLORAL CREATIVE MARKET > PATTERNS > GEOMETRIC CREATIVE MARKET > ILLUSTRATIONS > FLORAL
Which places do you download graphic assets from? Which types of assets do you have?
I will organize graphic assets using this system
If you have a lot of unsorted graphics, it may be a major undertaking to sort them out, so don't try to do this all at once. Set yourself a challenge of sorting out a bunch every day until it's done. Delete anything you won't use as you do this. I will organize ___ graphics files/folders every day. 1 23 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
I will organize ___ graphics files/folders every day. 5 1 23 4 10 678 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
COURSES / INFO PRODUCTS
COURSES If you tend to buy courses and then not get around to doing them or to forget what you already have access to or have on your hard drive, create a course folder and catalog to hold and document this information. Suggested items for your catalog spreadsheet include course provider (company) name of the instructor course name notes on the topic and aim of the course course folder/file name in your system date taken price filename for any notes My course folder is _____________________________
PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS
PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS ANNUAL (A) / DATE KEEP DATE DESCRIPTION MONTHLY (M) AMOUNT NEXT DUE Y / N REASON STOPPED
RECEIPTS
RECEIPTS Receipts are easy to lose if you don't keep them organized. When you scan in receipts or download them, save them in monthly folders so that you can easily grab the ones you need when it's time to do your accounts and taxes. If they are scattered in emails and various download folders now, take the time to sort them out. My receipt folder will be _________________________
BACKUP PLANS
BACKUPS Backup everything you do not want to lose in two places. One can be a local backup such as a hard drive that you attach to your computer or phone. The other should be in a different place entirely, in case of disaster such as fire or burglary. You can use a cloud backup service for this. Note here where and how you are backing up your files DEVICE TYPE OF FILES LOCAL BACKUP CLOUD BACKUP (photos, videos, documents, whole device, etc.)
MAINTENANCE
END OF DAY CHECKLIST If you have downloaded or created any new files, are they named appropriately and in the right folders? Are important files backed up/in the cloud? Have you deleted useless items that you downloaded/created? Have you deleted useless email and archived the rest? Have you added any new appointments/meetings to your calendar? Have you added any new tasks to your To Do list? Have you planned your short list of tasks for the next working day? Have you cleared your open tabs? Have you logged out of and closed down your computer/restarted for the morning?
END OF WEEK CHECKLIST If you are behind with the daily checklist, now is the time to catch up! If you have downloaded or created any new files, are they named appropriately and in the right folders? Are important files backed up/in the cloud? Have you deleted useless items that you downloaded/created? Have you deleted useless email and archived the rest? Have you added any new appointments/meetings to your calendar? Have you added any new tasks to your To Do list? Have you cleared your open tabs? Have you logged out of and closed down your computer/restarted for the morning? Also, have you reviewed the week just gone? (Include progress on your digital organization activities!) Have you planned the week ahead? (Include time to keep yourself organized) Have you emptied your computer trash bin?
MONTHLY MAINTENANCE Go through daily/weekly checklists to ensure up to date Make monthly email archive file if using and move emails into it Review progress of clean up tasks Decide if anything needs to change in the structure of your folders/email etc
ANNUAL MAINTENANCE Make sure daily, weekly and monthly tasks are up to date Delete files that are no longer needed Archive email - make annual email archive file if using and move emails into it
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