How to Organize Your Digital Files for your Interior Design Business

If you’re anything like me, you’re always curious how other interior designers run their business on the inside. Today I want to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how I organize my digital files.

It’s so important to have an organized place for everything - especially your digital files, which can get out of control quickly if you don’t have a distinct home for them or know where things live.

Knowing exactly where to find something and where to save documents will save invaluable time. Can I get an Amen?!

Which is better? Google Drive or Dropbox?

It doesn’t matter if you use Google Drive, Dropbox, or some other cloud storage program, as long as you commit to one and stick with using the same program.

*Full Disclaimer - Some docs make more sense in Google Drive vs Dropbox and vis versa. The important thing is to pick your primary tool and stick with it. Personally, I use Dropbox because I’m an InDesign and SketchUp User. It’s easiest to store those in Dropbox because when I close the files, they automatically save in Dropbox and refresh for any other users. On the other hand, we have a project tracking spreadsheet we use in Google docs because I often need to collaborate in real-time with colleagues. But 99.5% of my files live in Dropbox. Think about the tools you use and which platform makes the most sense for your business. Here is a quick tip to think about which is right for you.

Google Drive - Best. if you collaborate with colleagues in real-time mostly using cloud based Google Docs, Sheets, etc.

Dropbox - Best if you primarily use local software such as iWork (i.e. pages, numbers, keynote) or Office (i.e. Word, Excel), SketchUp and Layout, or Adobe products (i.e. InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)

An Inside Look

Here we go…an inside look at my exact folder structure. As always, take what works best for you and YOUR business. My hope is that if you lack file organization, this can provide a clear framework to get you out of the digital weeds.

Note - The first half is the business folder structure. Then you will see a detailed look inside the individual Client Folder Structure below.

Business Folder Structure

• Admin

  • Accounting - Tax Returns, Sales Tax, Shared with Accountant, Statements

  • Human Resources - Staff Folders

  • Legal - Agreements, EIN, Resale License

  • Receiving Contracts

• BizDev

  • Annual Planning - Annual Strategic Plan

  • Services - Overview of my Services (internal use), Sales PDFs

  • Services & Pricing Guide - Client Facing version

  • Welcome Kit - Take to Consultations

  • Marketing - Budget, Planning

  • Business Tracking Notebook - Nerdy spreadsheet tracking leads and projects

  • Phone Scripts

  • Published Work - PDFs of any published work

• Clients

  • 101-Jones - Example of folder with project number and client’s last name

  • XXX-Name- Template - Client Folder Structure - See below for contents

• Content

  • Blog - Content, Upgrades

  • Social Media - Strategy, Inspiration, Content

  • Portfolio - Commercial, Residential

  • Website - Imagery, Copy, Inspiration

• Design Resources

  • Trade Accounts - Folder for each account with application, pricing sheets, etc.

  • Budgeting Tools - i.e., Kitchen/Bath, Furnishings,

  • Product Education - Stone, Fabrics, Cabinetry, Lighting, etc.

  • Design Guides - Design Standards, i.e., Upholstery yardage, Favorite Paints, etc.

  • SketchUp Components - Kitchen, Bath, 2D Furnishings, Doors, Windows

• Education

  • Topic - Fees

  • Topic - Marketing

  • Topic - SketchUp

• Media

  • About - Mission, Core Values,

  • Logo - All versions

  • Headshots

  • Brand Guidelines

  • Fonts

• Templates

  • Client Presentation Template

  • Letterhead

  • Schedules

  • Canned Emails

  • Project Management - Request for Quote, Site Survey, Trade Day Etc.

Client Folder Structure

Whenever we get a new client, we have a template “Client Folder Structure” we copy and rename with the project number and Client’s Last Name. Below is the framework for that folder and its contents.

Primary Folders are numbered with a prefix that indicates the project phases:

0 - Pre-Design
1 - Concept Design
2 - Design Development
3 - Implementation

• 0_Admin

  • Invoices

  • Proposal

  • Questionnaires

• 1_Budget

• 1_Program

  • Consultation Notes -> Moves to become Program

• 1_Site Survey

  • Photos

  • Sketches

  • Inventory - items to remain

  • Windows

• 2_Design Notebooks

  • Client Presentation - Our Master file that we use to present everything from Concept Design to the complete Design Presentation. We use InDesign, but you can use Canva (free) too.

• 2_Drawings

  • Model File - SketchUp

  • Layout Files

  • PDFs

  • Provided Drawings - If there are existing drawings or we are collaborating with an architecture firm, structural, etc.

• 2_Images

  • Concept - Ideas and Inspiration Images

  • Specifications - Actual Selections

PRO TIP!

We use Jing to screenshot images which allows us the ability to instantly name and save images to the desired folder. Then we name each item with a standard hierarchy like this:

Tag_Vendor_Name —> F_Rejuvenation_Spindle

Which tells us this is F for Furniture, Rejuvenation is the Vendor, and Spindle Bed is the name of the item. This does two things: #1 In the image folder, it groups all the furnishings together (and lighting, rugs, art, etc.) and #2 we never have to wonder, where the heck did we find that bed (or light, or tile)...you get the idea!

3_Quotes from Vendors

• 3_Schedules

• 3_Spec Sheets

• 4_Procurement

  • PO’s - Purchase Orders

  • Receipts - All Project Receipts

  • Receiving - Copy of Emails from receiver

  • Claims - Copy of emails regarding any claims filed

I want you to run your business and it not run you so you can make time for friends and family and other things that light you up.

Taking the time to get organized (or re-organized, as the case may be) will save you so much time down the road.

Happy Organizing!