This Week's Main Course#
Computers need to be replaced, software needs to be updated, but data is expected to accompany you for a lifetime unless something unexpected happens.
A Lesson Learned the Hard Way#
My mechanical hard drive has failed again, making it the third one I remember using until it broke. While my computer is busy trying to salvage the data, I think it's time to summarize my experience and lessons learned in this area.
I am very fortunate to have developed the habit of organizing engineering files during my university years. I studied animation in my undergraduate program, and I remember using 3DMax for projects at that time. Max had its own file management system, and our teachers emphasized the importance of standardized file naming and classification. Looking back now, this is one of the few knowledge that I feel has benefited me for a lifetime during my university years.
It has been almost ten years since I graduated, and I have been exposed to various fields in both commercial and personal projects, such as TV program packaging, graphic advertising, stage art, collectibles, architectural walkthroughs, UI, and illustrations... If you work in a company, each department has its own set of file management standards, corresponding to different workflow processes. Since I transitioned to freelancing two years ago and started my own studio, I have become a one-person team, so I gradually developed a digital asset management system that is applicable not only to work but also beyond.
I have set several principles for this management system:
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Do not add categories unless necessary
The premise is that the category can be exhaustive. For example, there are only a few file types, but there are countless formats.
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Complete archiving within 1 minute
I have seen many people who know that archiving is important, but very few can stick to it for a year. In many cases, after completing a task, they are already tired and frustrated, and they don't have the energy to go through the trouble of archiving. In fact, once you have properly categorized your files, archiving within 1 minute becomes a natural process.
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Use English + date numbers for naming as much as possible
This is a professional habit because many professional applications only recognize English paths, and some fonts do not support Chinese characters, resulting in garbled display.
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Backup important files once a week (both cold and hot backups) Backup important files once a week (both cold and hot backups) Backup important files once a week (both cold and hot backups)
You can skip organizing, but please make sure to backup for world peace.
Design Classification Structure#
My logic for organizing files is very straightforward:
- There are only two types of files on a computer: programs and data.
- The files I store are all data.
- These data files are either created by me or by others.
- All data will eventually be output as text, images, audio, or video.
- Based on the needs of life or work, further subdivisions can be made according to different purposes.
Classification and Search#
This management approach can be categorized as "classification first," while another approach is "search first." When it comes to searching, I actually prefer to use it within each specific category. For example, searching is particularly suitable for types like movies, music, and e-books. However, categorization is more suitable for images. I use Eagle for image management, but I will write about it when I have the chance. As for the photos I took myself, I use the default Photos app on Apple devices, which is already sufficient.
To give searching an advantage, it is important to have standardized file or path naming. My habits do meet this advantage, but in my daily life, I rarely have a need to search for specific files. If a file is lost, professional applications will automatically prompt its original location, and usually, it's a case of losing a whole bunch of files, haha. But this is no longer a problem that can be solved by searching.
However, there is one place where I will definitely use search, and that is my second brain, which I have written about before. Because here, I don't force myself to remember anything, and categorization is very casual.
Side Note#
Overall, these two management approaches are inspired by two software programs: Notion and Obsidian.
Notion corresponds to the "classification first" approach, where you need to build the framework yourself, provided that you are clear about your needs in each aspect. However, it also has its own underlying rules and offers relatively high flexibility.
Obsidian, on the other hand, corresponds to the "search first" approach. Its bidirectional linking feature essentially prepares for searching in advance, with almost no rule restrictions. It is more suitable for allowing the content to grow freely.
Finally, I would like to mention that this system is an optimized version that I developed after buying a NAS last year. In actual practice, it can barely handle the volume of my files. I suggest using the management methods as a reference for the mindset, and it's up to you to decide how to implement them based on your own preferences. If there are areas that are not user-friendly enough, find ways to continue optimizing them. For example, can repetitive operations be turned into templates? Can backups be done incrementally? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, nor shortcuts.
Weekly Highlight#
The ring is finally done, and it's the first time I've seen such a considerate client. Yes, it's me.
It took three months and dozens of iterations, but it was worth it.
Have a great weekend.