There’s one simple skill that I’ve rarely seen taught in school or university settings, even though it takes just seconds to learn, can be easily performed by anyone, and will help you stand out to future employers, clients, and coworkers for years to come: label your files!
I’m certainly one of the more Type B personalities on our team, but I learned long ago that spending a few seconds to accurately rename a file can save your future self exponentially more time when you need to find that file down the road. When you create and process thousands of images a year, like we do, that time can really add up and can be the difference between success and failure on a project. I also can’t tell you how many times a client has personally thanked me for labeling a photo and making a specific image easier to find.
Why is this important?
There are many reasons why clear file labeling is important, especially in a professional setting where collaboration is key:
Quick and Easy Retrieval: Imagine needing to find a document urgently, but you can’t recall its exact name. If your files are labeled inconsistently or vaguely, you might spend precious minutes—or even hours—sifting through endless documents. Proper file labeling enables you to find what you need in seconds. When files are named logically and consistently, you can use simple search functions to locate them quickly.
Enhanced Collaboration: In a team environment, proper file naming is essential. When multiple people work on the same project, having a clear and consistent file naming convention avoids confusion, redundancy, and loss of assets. Team members can easily find and understand the contents of a file without needing to open it. This is especially important for remote teams who rely heavily on digital files to collaborate effectively.
Improved Version Control: Ever accidentally worked on the wrong version of a file? Proper file labeling can help prevent this common mistake. By including dates, version numbers, or other identifiers in your file names, you can keep track of multiple versions of a document and ensure you’re always working with the most recent and relevant one. This can be particularly important for projects that undergo multiple revisions or collaborative efforts.
Avoiding Data Loss: Misplaced files can lead to accidental deletions or a file being lost in digital limbo, where it takes up storage space but isn’t used for anything. If files are poorly labeled or stored in incorrect folders, there’s a higher risk of them being deleted or lost in the shuffle. By labeling files properly and organizing them in relevant folders, you reduce the risk of accidental deletions or misplacements.
Better Time Management: Time is a precious commodity. Wasting time searching for files or recreating lost documents can be frustrating and counterproductive. Properly labeled files contribute to better time management by making it easier to find what you need when you need it. This leaves more time for actual work rather than the tedious task of searching through cluttered folders.
Professionalism and Compliance: For businesses, especially those dealing with sensitive information, proper file labeling is not just a best practice but also a requirement. Regulatory bodies often require certain documents to be retained and accessible in a specific format. Adopting a standardized file-naming system helps ensure compliance and portrays a professional image to clients and stakeholders.
Limitations of Smart Search Tools: Search tools have come a long way in recent years, with platforms like Dropbox rolling out useful new features like image recognition in search, which can help you quickly find images that match prompts like “hamburger” without the image necessarily needing to be labeled with those words. It’s a fantastic tool, but there are real-world limitations to this technology. Do you remember when and where that photo of a hamburger was taken? Do you know who needs to get photo credit if you use it? Can you easily tell which of the five burgers on a menu is in this photo, or if it is still on the menu at all? Save yourself the headache and label the file and folder so you can have the answers to all of these questions at a quick glance.
How do I get started?
It is never too late to start with proper file and folder organization. Here are some quick and easy tips to make this happen for yourself and your team:
Be Descriptive: Use meaningful names that give a clear indication of the file’s content. In my field, I label photos by the menu item name, usually in descending numerical order for each item. For my folders, I include where the photo was taken, who the photographer was, and the date the photo shoot took place.
Include Dates: Incorporate dates in a consistent format to help sort files chronologically. This is particularly important when dealing with waves of revisions or when there could be confusion on a regular basis. For example, don’t just name your file “Christmas Release Final”—put the year and date in there so that when next year rolls around, you know which file was the most recent and which file is relevant for the current year.
Use Keywords: Include relevant keywords that can make searching easier. If your coworkers have an established convention for this, stick to that so the keywords are consistent across projects.
Avoid Special Characters: Different platforms and operating systems can treat special characters differently. Avoid special characters that some systems might not recognize (for example, use “entree” instead of “entrée” in a file name).
Be Consistent: Whatever naming convention you choose, stick with it. Consistency is key to effective organization!