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Yesterday Michael Geoghegan and I were chatting about the importance of efficient workstation and desktop management. We both agreed that system clutter will seriously hinder your productivity. [See this post]

Many of us spend a considerable amount of time working with complex media projects. These projects often include multiple components: project interchange format files, video files, audio files, and graphics. In this case some form of organization is imperative. I’m going to explain a simple method of project organization that have I developed for my own work. This method accomplishes one simple task: easy visual scanning of media project components housed in a project master storage folder.

Keep in mind that I use this method only for media projects. I am 100% sure that better solutions exist. In fact, applications like Pathfinder and AudioFinder are perfect examples of cutting edge productivity tools that prove this point. Also, Mac OSX provides customization options for specific folders. My little trick adds an additional feature: intra-folder zones that house files [and folders] based on their specific formats and attributes.

This image represents a master folder that lives on my desktop. It includes an array of stored projects, video files, audio files, and a few works in progress reference files . Folder properties can be customized by accessing the show view options located in the Finder menu. Files and folders can be organized based on date modified, size, type, and label. My trick enhances the organize by type option by utilizing colored zones. I manually control the strategic location of each file and subfolder based on their formats and attributes. When the master folder is opened, I am presented with a structured grouping that is visually pleasing. It’s plain and simple. In my opinion this concept maximizes efficiency.

If you are familiar with some of the hidden features in Mac OSX, you probably figured out how I created these intra-folder zones. If not, all you need to do is create a document in Photoshop that includes various colored boxes. The predetermined size of a new master storage folder will dictate the dimensions of the Photoshop document. Simply create a new folder, open it, and in the view options – change the folder background to picture. You guessed it … the Photoshop document. The last step is to organize the project components so that each time you access the master folder you will be presented with a visually enhanced method of locating project attributes. Let me stress that there is one caveat: manual placement of the master folder content is required. Once you get used to this, it’s not that big of a deal.

By the way, I also managed to automate the process of building these customized master folders. Launch Automator, and from the Library pane, select Finder. In the Actions pane, grab the Set Folder Views action and drag it into the Workflow area. Make sure you uncheck the arrangement option, and set the background to display your custom picture. Lastly, save the workflow and store it in the Workflows directory. [User/Library/Workflows/Apllications].

In the future, create a folder as normal, right-click or control+click it, and run the Automator workflow from the contextual menu. Your new folder will be good to go.