A folder system should let another person find the source material, current edit and finished deliverables without guessing. The same person may be you several months later. Naming every folder perfectly is less useful than choosing a small structure, using it consistently and leaving a short explanation when the project contains an exception.
Start with a recognisable project name
Choose a project folder name that includes a meaningful subject or agreed project code. If dates distinguish repeat sessions, use a consistent year-month-day order so folders sort predictably. Avoid names that reveal private client information when folders will be shared.
Keep names manageable rather than packing the whole brief into them. For example, 2026-10-11-garden-interview is easier to recognise than new-project-final-revised. Use the same project wording in the handover note and delivery folder so references remain connected.
Separate folders by their job
Create a few useful areas, such as sources, project-files, working-exports and delivery. A person should be able to infer which files are safe to send without opening every item. Avoid creating several levels for categories that contain only one small file.
Within sources, distinguish cards, cameras or recording sessions where that prevents confusion. Preserve camera-generated structures when they are needed by the recording format. Organisation should help the software and the next editor, rather than flattening useful relationships for a tidier-looking directory.
Use versions instead of repeated final labels
Give revisions a short version number or a clear date. A name such as interview-v03-review identifies its role more reliably than final-final-new. Agree which convention you will use before several people begin making their own copies.
Make approved deliverables easy to distinguish from review files. Include format or destination where necessary, such as portrait or web, but keep the naming rule short enough to apply correctly. Retain a note identifying the approved version rather than expecting a filename alone to record every decision.
Leave a small explanation for exceptions
Add a brief readme describing the folder roles, the current project file and any external dependency. Explain an unusual camera folder or a supplied asset with a different name. This is especially valuable when you cannot safely rename files already linked by editing software.
Test the system by asking where a particular original, review export and final file should be found. If the answer depends on remembering the day it was created, improve the folder role or the note. Keep archive and abandoned material clearly separated from the current working path.
Good names reduce uncertainty at the moment someone needs a file. Use a predictable project label, a few folders with clear jobs and explicit revision numbers. Add a short note where the structure alone cannot explain an important relationship.
