[thelist] RE:file management practices for design shops

[List Member]

Hi Bart,

At the Web dev company where I used to work the servers would have
directories set up for each project/client which contained subdirectories
for file types (i.e. psd, web, etc.)  Within each of those would be
subdirectories for each designer/developer by name.  As for naming
conventions of individual files, it was usually done by version/date--i.e. a
folder with a date like 01012001 then each file within it something like
home_1-1.gif, home_1-2.gif (home page comps), sublevel_1-1.gif,
sublevel_1-2.gif, etc.

That might seem kind of confusing but it really isn't--the file with the
highest version number is the latest for any given category.  What you end
up with is something that looks like:

-->projects
------>clientname_1
---------->logo
---------->site_redesign
---------------->psd
--------------------->designer_name1 (files--home_1-1.psd, home_1-2.psd,
etc.)
--------------------->designer_name2 (files--home_1-1.psd, home_1-2.psd,
etc.)
--------------------->designer_name3 (files--home_1-1.psd, home_1-2.psd,
etc.)
---------------->illustrator
---------------->docs (all docs from client re site redesign)
---------->packaging
---------->flyer
------>clientname_2
------>clientname_3

It's a bit of a pain to set up and you may want to do expand or contract the
levels to suit your needs, but once it's done it can be a lifesaver.  We
also used to have an intranet where you could review (HTML versions of) the
client needs analysis, creative briefs, and specs as well as a "sketchbook"
that linked to the various gif/jpeg versions of the comps.  Hope I didn't
leave you more confused than when you first asked!

Bev

-----Original Message-----
From: "Bart Johnston" <bart at archrival.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2001 14:16:16 -0600
Subject: [thelist] file management practices for design shops


<snip>
I'd like to set up a system
that helps them and others who might have to jump in a on a project to be
navigate through all the files to find whatever they need to find -- whether
it's a logo, or the most recent version of a brochure.

I know that there are some pretty serious (and expensive) versioning systems
out there, but what I'm really more interested in are naming schemes and
file management practices, and how those practices work in a multi-designer
environment.  How do you keep track of your works in progress, how do you
treat or denote your final files (e.g. press ready -- we always seem to end
up with lots of "poster_final_final_003.tif")?
</snip>