Bringing Structure to Your File Structure

With the use of technology becoming more and more a necessity these days, the struggles of keeping a physical space tidy is no longer our only worry: we now have to think about our digital workspaces as well. A file structure paves the way through your clutter and towards finding the right file, for whenever you need it the most.

Risk (1), Time (4), Effort (4), Resources (1) = 2.15 (2)
Table of Contents

Note: This is Part 1 of the Digital Declutter series.

Introduction

With the use of technology becoming more and more a necessity these days, the struggles of keeping a physical space tidy is no longer our only worry: we now have to think about our digital workspaces as well. 

Do you have files scattered about in your downloads folder or worse, overflowing on your desktop like a dragon having knocked over its piles of stashed treasure? Just like physical spaces, digital spaces may need regular maintenance in order to make them useful for us: from retrieving specific files, to building upon our own personal knowledge management system (PKM). Storage is also a consideration–as an aspiring content creator (and hoarder of files, references, resources, and downloads) I find myself running out of storage all the time. And there is always this undercurrent of stress in the back of my mind when I get a “low storage” notification, especially on my current laptop where half of the time the reported storage amount is completely made-up. (Thanks, laptop.)

But maintenance (and backup) is only one half of the equation. The other half is setting a system up that works for you and your needs, before you actively maintain your system. For your digital files, a predefined, or even just well-defined file structure can have the following benefits:

  1. Files are where you access them the most and where you expect it to be
  2. Files are in a place that makes sense
  3. Files are easy to find
  4. Backups are easier to do
  5. Less stress of having a cluttered desktop or folder structure
  6. No duplicates of non-essential files, folders and locations
  7. Each file and folder has a purpose

Defining Your File Structure

The caveat to any good system documentation is to ensure it isn’t over-engineered. This is a trap I often fall into. You want to keep it simple at first, and only improve upon it in later iterations if your needs are not being met. I usually like to start off with brainstorming a few broad categories, and then, while organizing, define new folders when necessary.

If you’re looking for inspiration, luckily, there are ready-made file structure “systems” out there. There are so many methods you can organize your files with, and I will only be touching upon two I’m familiar with. Regardless of the differences, all file structures should have intentional groupings or linkages between content to make files easier to find. Outside of using your search bar, this can be done using nested folders, tags, and metadata, and further, through intentional naming, filtering and sorting using appropriate metadata (e.g. date or filetype) and using shortcuts.

The PARA Method

The PARA method[1] is a system of organizing folders or other information in four categories: Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives.

  1.  Projects are short-term goals such as “write a book” or “renovate bathroom”.
  2.  Areas are long-term responsibilities or life areas such as “Finances”, “Cooking”, “Maintenance”, “Website Development”, “Writing”, etc. Projects tend to fit into Areas.
  3. Resources are materials and references related to topics of interest. Resources often support Projects.
  4. Archives are where you move all past, inactive, or abandoned projects or folders from the above three categories.

Using the PARA method limits the amount of categories you start out with to four, and so some may find it restrictive. However, the benefit is in the simplicity, as each category comes with a clearly-defined purpose that makes it easier to sort files.

Johnny Decimal

As someone who works in accounting, the Johnny Decimal[2] system of file organization has a particular appeal. The Johnny Decimal system is a hierarchical file structure that divides your files into ten categories called “areas”. Each area holds ten categories, and each category holds 100 projects, or “IDs”, so a sample Johnny Decimal system looks like this:

  •  10-19 Area
  • 20-29 Area
    • 20 Category
      •  20.01 Project
      • (…)
      • 20.99 Project
    • 21 Project
    • (…)
    • 29 Project
  • (…)
  • 90-99 Area

The key advantage to the Johnny Decimal system is that it makes each folder identifiable: for example, if you open up a file in a folder “32.04”, you’ll know without looking at the title of the folder the category (30’s) the file belongs to. It also allows folders to be in a specific alphanumerical order.

For others, this may be a bit too technical and inflexible to use, as the numbers don’t denote any meaning beyond the initial area numbers. Between 45.02, 46.02 and 46.03, unless you have a reference to your file structure, it matters less what these folders are named and there is a higher degree of interchangeability. Outside of the context of your file structure, the numbers lose meaning. However, you don’t have to use all 100 folders at your disposal, which will make your system much easier to parse. (I personally use this system for my files, and a modified version for my Obsidian vault.)

Defining Your Folders

Being intentional with your folders will also help keep your files organized in the long-term while reducing decision paralysis. A well-defined file structure using folders means:

  1. Creating a new folder only when you need one
  2. Determining the appropriate attribute to group and sort files by
  3. Using shortcuts when your workflow or typical access/usage patterns benefit from multiple locations for a file

When should you start a new folder?

  • Do you already have similar folders that serve a similar purpose?
  • Does creating a new folder make the file easier to find? (Or, does not creating a new folder make the file harder to find?)
  • If this file is part of a workflow or activity, would putting it in a separate folder allow you to focus on that activity/make the activity easier to accomplish? (E.g. creating a separate folder for tax information, the activity being “doing your taxes”)
  • If you were to access this file, what file path would you follow?

How should I categorize?

Typically, when you think about categorizing folders, you think about groups such as “School”, “Work”, or “Resources”. Some files, however, are better suited to be grouped by different attributes. Consider the following:

  1. Date: Files that are time-based are better off using dates as the basis for categories. For example, photos can be organized by “2022 Europe Trip” or “2022-2023”. Courses also fit well in this, such as “Year 1” or “High School” rather than by topic or by school.
  2. Filetype: Especially if you’re a content creator, filetype may be a better basis. Windows Explorer also comes with the default libraries Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos, which already take advantage of grouping by this attribute. The Data Curator Filetree[8] is a ready-made structure based on this concept.
  3. Process or Status: A file structure can be based on workflow. Each folder would be in methodological order and typically involve a leading number to indicate each step. An example would be “1. Concepts”, “2. Ideas”, “3. Drafts”, “4. “Editing”, and “5. Completed”, or “Applications”, “Pending Review”, “Hired” and “Rejected”. While this structure has better version control, you would have to manually move files to the correct status, and you may be better off with an external Kanban board or similar to keep track of statuses separately, since metadata is much easier to add there.

How to Start Organizing

Depending on how many files you have sitting around, it can be daunting to start organizing your digital clutter. The important thing to keep in mind is to just start. Pick one, set a timer, and pace yourself appropriately.

Choose a system that works for you. In the video Organizing Digital Files & Folders in 5 Seconds[3] by How to GYST, their method begins with creating a new desktop folder, dragging all your files into that folder, and organizing bit by bit from that folder. I find that this method is great for that “starting with a clean slate” feeling.

If you prefer to follow a step-by-step procedure, here is my basic approach for organizing my digital files:

  1. Go through your files and get a gist of what sort of files you have.
  2. Define your broad categories and create a file structure note that can be used for reference. I used Notion and toggle blocks to create a tree structure, with the following broad categories: Work, Home, Projects, Library, and Media.
  3. From your broad categories, define subcategories for each broad category. In Thomas Frank’s video, The Best Way to Organize Your Computer Files[4], he refers to these as “branches” and the documents folder (or cloud drive) the “root”, like that of a tree. I would recommend you to not go overboard with nested folders, keeping the hierarchy between 3-5 levels deep[5].
  4. Create new folders on your desktop based on your predefined file structure. I like to add icons of each broad category (these are .png files from Google’s Material Design icons) to add a visual component to reference when I am tidying up.
  5. Select a folder in your document library. Drag and drop files into the appropriate folder. Create new folders when necessary (and update your file structure note!)
  6. For each file, assess if you want to keep it. If the answer is no, delete it (if you have the Recycle Bin set up as default, use Shift + Del on Windows to permanently delete a file).
  7. Once you have gone through all your folders, start organizing the contents of each of your desktop folders.
  8. Decide whether you need to create nested folders, the intention of each folder, and the data type to sort the files by. Add any descriptions or definitions to your file structure reference note, or create README text files as a memory-jogger within the folder.
  9. Rename files if necessary.
  10. Create a plan to maintain your files. For example, you could set the last Sunday of each month as a file backup & organization day.

Keep or Delete?

Consider the following criteria if you are having a hard time deciding on whether to delete a file or keep it:

  1. Is there a legal requirement to keep this file? (E.g. it is recommended for you to keep tax records up to 7 years).
  2. Will you ever reference this file again? How regularly do you use this file?
  3. Is there an “expiry date” to this file, i.e. a date that when passed, this file is no longer useful nor relevant? A 2017 PDF file with application details to a hackathon event that you didn’t even get in would be an example of this. (Expiry dates also matter for physical items such as expired food.)
  4. Does this item spark joy?[6] (E.g. a funny meme or photo of a favourite memory.)
  5. Is there a better format or place for this file?
  6. Can you access this file elsewhere, or bring it up on Google?[7]
  7. How hard would your life be if you lost this file, e.g. in a disk drive failure?[7]

Next Steps

Now that you have some ideas on how to start tidying up your digital clutter, make sure to check out Part 2, Finding Files Within Your File Structure (TBA), where I’ll be discussing everything from grouping, the Quick Access pane, indexing software, and whether it’s important to have a naming system.

Appendix

References are material I referenced in a specific part of the article, or formed a majority basis of my research.

  1. Forte Labs. The PARA Method: The Simple System for Organizing Your Digital Life in Seconds. https://fortelabs.com/blog/para/
  2. Johnny Noble. Johnny Decimal. https://johnnydecimal.com/
  3. How to GYST. Organizing Digital Files & Folders in 5 SECONDS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq8s6UzDqA0
  4. Thomas Frank. The Best Way to Organize Your Computer Files. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKjRKZxr-KY
  5. Jeff Su. This Simple File Management System Changed My Life! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM-MPS57qKA
  6. Marie Kondo. The KonMari Method. https://konmari.com/about-the-konmari-method/
  7. Organized Mamas. How to Do a Digital Declutter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_p0v691JQY
  8. Roboyoshi on GitHub. Data Curator Filetree. https://github.com/roboyoshi/datacurator-filetree. (A sample file tree based on filetype, e.g. audio, video, documents. Picked up from Thomas Frank’s video[4].)

Resources are further readings that you may be interested in, or formed a minority basis of my research. Some of these may contradict the information presented in the article, especially on more subjective topics, and are meant to allow readers to come to their own conclusions and form a balanced opinion.

  1. The Spruce. How to Decide What to Keep or Toss When Decluttering. https://www.thespruce.com/when-to-get-rid-of-clutter-2647992. (Keep and toss criteria, more geared towards physical files but can also apply to digital files.)
  2. The Spruce. How Long Should You Keep Important Paperwork? https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-to-keep-documents-2648494
  3. UC Merced Library. File and Folder Organization. https://library.ucmerced.edu/node/66751. (Hierarchical vs tag methods, file naming, and file formats.)

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