So there is no need to invent special techniques – it is just a matter of being organized in your mind. Just a thought, though.

With warm greetings from Saarbruecken, Germany,
Vitaly Friedman,
http://www.alvit.de/vf/

http://www.Tadalist.com

My wife has just found some alternative to-do list software which you may find of interest, called Life Balance, which is available for Palm OS, Macintosh and Windows. I haven’t yet had time to try it out, but when I do I’ll let you know what it’s like.

Forgot to mention my personal favorite computer, the good ols netBook from Psion eith the Epoc OS. It’s remarkable how well thought out the software of that machine is. And how easy it is to program almost whatever you like in OPL.

Regards,

Bert Peper

So I give al my digital files names in a structured manner: yyyymmdd sender to receiver about something. It’s simple, indeed. But is works very well. Also because I use a lot of folders for a lot of clubs I support for my work (and yes, every club has more ar less the same kind of folders).

Besides that, I mirror the folders on my computer with the ordners in my cabinet, making tabs myself with a word processor and putting them in plastic sheets. Individual clients who I support (groups op homeless people) for my work have the same kind of organization in their personal ordners. Is simple, but it works. Everybody knows where to look for something.

At last, non-digital posting are also getting a digital file, but when not yet digitalized have a keyword dummy in their structured name.

Give structured names and mirror the folder from your computer into your ordners, and you’re almost done.

With the simplest possible searching you know what’s to do next week or whatever period you like.

regards,

Bert Peper

*Hits self on forehead*

Just how do you integrate OS X’s colored file system “Labels” in your work? Do you use them at all? I heard a lot of OS 9-ers were thrilled to have this feature reintroduced. Personally, I’m having a bit of a time getting good use out of it. For awhile, I had folders on my older PowerMac G4 organized by type – certain colors for certain aspects of my life and computer. “Work,” “School,” “Fun,” “Tech Stuff,” and on the list went. However, with this method I realized I could have every bloody single file colorized, and I didn’t want that. It’s too time-consuming for one thing, and it’s too cluttering on the eyes for another.

I’m now thinking of using the colored Labels as a “Priorities” system. Red and orange as most important, getting less important as you go down the line… Yellow, green, blue, purple, and I really hate gray so I’ll leave that out. Haven’t tried it yet, but I do think it will work – however, I just don’t see a ton of benefit in it yet, as it seems too simplistic a way to label.

How about a second part to the question?

How also, if any, do you use OS X’s “Comments” feature for files? This seems more up my alley for adding those pesky asides when dealing with projects, but this still isn’t really enough I don’t think – and that’s not to mention how completely out of the way it seems to use Comments.

Really, sometimes I think I need to introduce a “Campaign Data Sheet” system like Beth mentioned into my workflow. Especially in my writing, I have a lot of random ideas, notes, and brainstorms, often tagged to particular documents, but no specific place to put them. Hmm.

Also, my wife swears by a book called “Getting Things Done” and has bought me a copy to read, to help organise my working life. I wish I was organised enough to have scheduled time to read it yet!

I use my Palm for taking contacts and schedule info with me, on my PC (currently using Win XP and/or Linux Fedora 3) I use Mozilla Thunderbird for emails and the calendar extension for schedule (I can’t sync my calendar to palm yet but I can sync contacts).

I use Firefox for browsing and its bookmarks management is enought for organizing the many urls I have.

I keep all my data of projects under my user directory in a folder called /home/alexis/web development in Linux or My Documents/web development in Windows, and like most of you I have a folder per project (using the domain name).

I use Adobe Illustrator (ai) and Photoshop for designing (psd). I also put color palettes in those folders. Sometimes I use ColorImpact for maintaining color palettes)

I have a folder for exported images (exp) which will be used when doing markup.

A folder where the html, php/asp/jsp, swf, css, js files will be (web).

Another one for information architecture related stuff (ia), for example wireframes, Visio sitemaps, user profiles, etc.

I also have a folder with links or misc content about the project (ideas).

A folder for agreements, contracts, invoices (docs).

A folder for client provided or stock photographs (photos).

A folder for text content (I ask for text content in Word or OpenOffice, I prefer this one, documents, with no formatting at all, just to copy/paste).

If needed I use a fonts folder (fonts).

If the site includes programming I have a folder for database related files, such as database models, I’m using DBDesigner 4 for MySQL databases, or SQL files (sql)

I have a folder called where I put screen captures from websites or design elements I like for the project (screenshots).

If I’m using any special application (for example vBulletin as forum or Drupal as CMS) I have a special folder for the application and any add ons needed.

I maintain a backup directory to put things that I will burn to CD later.

Finally, at the root level of the project folder I use to have an info.txt file which includes ftp information, usernames, passwords and any other data that is often needed and I just can open with one click without having to have any software running.

Here is an example tree:

example.com
- photos
- docs
- psd
- ai
- exp
- ia
- web
- drupal (optional)
- vbulletin (optional)
- ideas
- sql
- text
- backup
- fonts

I also have a similar approach for CSS files, separatin sections with comments:

/* common */

Here I setup common elements such as body, hx, etc.

/* layout */

Here I put main content sections which define layout, for example: #header, #content, #sidebar, #footer, then I have a block for each of these.

Later I can have special blocks for some kind of forms:

/* user-form */

Some blocks form navigation:

/* mainnav */
/* subnav */

And something like that.

I’m not yet at the point of following an order for each rule for each element, but it’s an idea I will start trying.

Regards!

One time I got my WinXP system infected with a virus, and I almost lose all my personal and work stuff, whereby I decided separate the windows system files in one hard disk (40Gb capacity) and my external-system stuff in a new hard disk (80Gb capacity), that I called BITS. Then, the organization in BITS is very similar to yours. One folder for each category like Music, Work, Installers, Personal, University, Investigation and so on. And like that in parallel subcategories. My work folder contain a clients folder that is organized very similar like yours.

Stay organized is the key for successful Projects! =)

What’s really interesting aside from all the “Hey that’s just like me posts” is that so many “Just like me” posters have gravitated to this section of your site, spent the time to read it, and then post.

There is some underlying psychological thing here…I can smell it.