This post is a continuation of graphic design tip #7 in our article “101 Graphic Design Tips for Business Success.“

Lost your keys lately?

Artistic types are not typically known for their organization skills. We have a tendency to go with the flow, let our desks get a little jumbled and put our keys in odd places. For many of us organization is a learned skill, one that we have to constantly practice on daily. It might not come naturally, but it is worth working at even if you feel you never get on top of things.

We all know someone who is extremely organized, and it’s impressive. If you look organized, potential clients might be impressed by this too (not to mention it just feels good to be organized). Also, if you have a structured/organized design process it can save a lot of time.

Basic organizational aid

Organization isn’t just about looking neat, it’s about keeping goods and information aligned so that others can understand and complete what you started. Almost all of the projects you work on will involve a number of people to complete. Keeping things organized on your end will help your project go smoothly. For basic organizational aid utilize a whiteboard, excel spreadsheet or project management software.

Start keeping track of where you store your files. Make sure that you have an organized system for both hard and soft copies. This will help you easily files for reference, changes, proofing or forwarding. Keep logos and Images in a common “Art” file so that you can reuse the same file for multiple projects. Utilizing a common folder for these will save you space and also access time. Delete old drafts of files when you no longer need them, saving you from accidentally sending off old draft files by accident.

File naming and QA

Name your files consistently. There are numerous ways to do this so I’ll just put out an example such as “Brochure_Product/Company_Date.IND”. This will help you search for it in multiple ways. It will also ensure that you are pulling the most current document.

Quality assurance and testing tracking. Keep track of who has reviewed and tested your projects. Have all the stakeholders approved? Do you still need information? Are there additional changes? Creating a quality assurance process can help you easily keep track of approval and changes.

Your project doesn’t want a black eye… Do you?

Packaging for others. Pre-flight software has taken a lot of the pain out of this process. Just a few things you need to remember… When sending files to printers always package the native files with fonts, images, and a PDF for review purposes. Large posters should be down in illustrator with images either embedded or packaged and all fonts outlined. Web hosting needs to have the same consideration. All it takes is one missing image to give your whole project a big black eye.

If you take a few minutes to organize your files and ordering with vendors you will wind up with more time and fewer phone calls. Do it right the first time. Looking organized breeds confidence with the client. No one wants to order even a hamburger from someone who seems scattered. Just a few tricks will keep you looking like a well organized, competent designer.

We thank you for taking the time to read our post, “Get Organized.” If you’d like to stay on top of these valuable graphic design tips, please subscribe to our blog.

All the best,

ThePerfectDesign.com Team