For artists who work online, effective digital organisation is vital to manage their files and portfolios efficiently. While it’s understandable that you simply want to focus on making art, and nothing else, your future self will thank you. Leveraging project management tools can streamline this process, ensuring that your creative work is well-organised, accessible, and professionally presented. This guide details how to use these tools for optimal digital organisation.
1. Setting Up Your Digital Organisation System
1.1 Define Your Folder Structure
A well-structured folder system helps with maintaining an orderly digital workspace. By creating a logical hierarchy, you ensure that all files are easily accessible and can be quickly located, which saves you time and stress during project management. Here’s how you can approach this:
1. Create Main Folders: Start by creating main folders for each project, which could be named “Client Work,” “Personal Projects,” and “Portfolio.”
2. Subfolders: Within each project folder, set up subfolders for different stages or types of files, such as “Drafts,” “Finals,” “References,” and “Contracts.”
1.2 Implement Consistent Naming Conventions
Consistent naming conventions make it easier to identify and retrieve files. However much you want to name it at the spur of the moment, remember that it only takes a second longer to name it appropriately!
Descriptive and standardised names prevent confusion, avoid duplication, and streamline collaboration when multiple team members are involved. Therefore, we can start making standardised rules on how to name files.
1. Develop a Naming System: Decide on a naming format that includes key information such as a project’s name, version, and date. An example would be: "ProjectName_V1_Draft_2024-08-07."
2. Name Consistently: Ensure all team members or collaborators use the same naming conventions to avoid confusion.
3. Update and Maintain: Regularly review and adjust naming conventions as needed, to accommodate new types of data.
1.3. Implementing Version Control
We’ve briefly touched on this in the section above, but here, we’ll expand further. Implementing version control is essential for managing changes and maintaining the integrity of your files. Naming files with version numbers provides clear identification of any updates made, reducing confusion and ensuring that you always work with the correct file iteration.
1. Use Versioning Tools: Consider using version control software or manual methods to track changes. Tools like TESSR, or more specifically, its Review module > Renditions serve as different versions of a singular scene.
2. Name Files with Version Numbers: Append version numbers to filenames to indicate any updates (e.g., "ProjectName_V2_Review").
3. Document Changes: Keep a change log to record what changes were made in each version, like how Renditions work in the TESSR Review module. Renditions of a scene are kept neatly under a single tab, in order of upload.
1.4. Regular Backups
Regular backups are crucial for protecting your work from data loss. This can happen due to circumstances like hardware failures, accidental deletions, or other unforeseen issues. By choosing a combination of cloud storage and physical backups, you can secure your data and have access to it from multiple locations.
1. Choose Backup Methods: Select a combination of cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox) and physical backups (e.g., external hard drives, paper filing).
2. Schedule Regular Backups: Set up automated backups or create a routine to shield your work, at regular time intervals.
2. Utilising Project Management Tools
2.1 Choose the Right Tool
Selecting the appropriate project management tool, which is tailored to your needs enhances organisation and efficiency. Project management tools can offer different features that can help in managing tasks, tracking progress, and improving team collaboration. However, choosing the right tool that can best fit your industry is important for enabling better workflow and management.
TESSR: This software is built for creatives. While centric around animators, so long as you operate within the creative industry, TESSR can be the right management tool for artists. For instance, our Review module allows users to annotate on art pieces and make playlists for your takes and scenes.
2.2 Set Up Your Projects
Setting up projects within your chosen tool ensures that tasks and files are organised according to their respective projects. This structure helps with tracking project phases systematically, preventing overlaps and missed deadlines.
Project Management tools often are developed to deliver clear approaches in the hierarchy/levels of each project. TESSR, for example, has six (6) levels of entities, namely:
2.3 Organise Tasks and Files
Organising tasks and files within a project management tool centralises your essentials, making it easier to manage and track progress. It helps with assigning responsibilities, monitoring deadlines, and ensuring that all necessary factors are accounted for.
1. Create Tickets/Tasks: For each task or file, create a ticket or task within the relevant list or section. Attach files and add details such as descriptions, due dates, and tags.
2. Use Labels/Tags: Apply labels or tags to neatly categorise tasks or files by type, priority, or status. This makes it easier to filter and find specific items.
2.4 Track Progress and Deadlines
Tracking progress and setting deadlines is essential to keep the project on schedule. Without it, you remove periodic check-ins for errors or misunderstandings.
Project management tools provide visual indicators and reminders that help manage timelines effectively, identify potential delays, and ensure the timely completion of tasks. In TESSR, users can go to the “My Work” page to view projects and their scenes with the option to sort their due dates, to provide a better view of what to prioritise. Applications like these, help you stay ahead of deadlines and monitor progress—even then, it’s not all automated. Manually, you should:
1. Set Due Dates: Assign due dates to tasks within a project, and track deadlines to ensure the timely completion of project milestones.
2. Monitor Progress: Use project management tools’ tracking features to visualise progress, which makes identifying bottlenecks much easier.
3. Managing Your Portfolio:
3.1 Curate and Organise Your Work
This ensures that only the best and most relevant work of yours is showcased. This presents a professional image of yourself, showing potential clients and/or employers that you are serious about your work. And, needless to say, curating your portfolio to only show the work you are proudest of will increase the likelihood of attracting the right people.
1. Select Showcase Pieces: Choose pieces that display your skills, range and passion.
2. Create Portfolio Sections: Organise your portfolio into sections based on categories. An example could be “Illustrations,” “Digital Art,” and “Animations” or any other classifications relevant to your career.
3.2 Optimise for Accessibility
Ensuring your portfolio is easily accessible to increase its effectiveness. Using project management tools to track updates and regularly re-equip your portfolio ensures that it attracts and informs your audience.
1. Share and Collaborate: Use sharing features in project management tools to collaborate with clients or team members on portfolio updates and feedback.
2. Maintain a Professional Platform: Ensure your portfolio is hosted on a reputable platform, to avoid seeming unprofessional.
4. The Best Practices and Tips
4.1 Regularly Review and Update
1. Schedule Reviews: Periodically review your digital organisation system and portfolio to ensure they are up-to-date and organised—so when you need it most, things won’t be hectic.
2. Clean Up: Remove outdated or unnecessary files and projects to keep your digital workspace clutter-free. Clicking through empty or redundant files, just to look for the right one can eat up your time and energy.
4.2 Secure Your Data
1. Backup Regularly: Use a cloud storage service alongside external drives to back up important files and project data. It’s important to have your data in several forms, to prepare for unexpected circumstances.
2. Implement Security Measures: Use encryption or apps with high security to protect sensitive information and avoid using websites that seem unreliable. Double-check URLs, privacy policies and the WHOIS information of said website.
4.3 Leverage Integration Features
Integrate Tools: Your project management tool may not have everything you need, especially if it’s a niche requirement, so it’s best to make use of its integration features. Examples of third-party apps may include cloud storage or design software. Optimise your workflow with the tools you have at your disposal.
Conclusion
In this age of technology and information, you should make the most out of the instruments available to avoid falling behind. Make cyberspace something that gives you a competitive edge against others—stay efficient in your workflow with digital organisation.
Author Bio
From Malaysia, Leia Emeera is a writer at TESSR and a published author. She has been putting pen to paper ever since she learned how to, and has an anthology to her name, titled 'Ten'. Leia loves music, games and her beloved labrador retriever, George. She aims to further her studies in English Literature and Creative Writing the moment her gap year ends. 'Till then, you will find her sitting behind a desk, writing with TESSR.
Connect with her on LinkedIn: Leia Emeera
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