desktop catalog

It took me a few years to figure out that organization used to not be my strong point. Towards the end of college, I realized I needed to work hard on breaking that habit. For awhile, this included cleaning out my backpack every day, buying an external to get everything organized and backed up by another source for my computer, work hard towards never being late to class or work, and so on. Slowly, I have become a very meticulous person and frankly it has made life easier.

For those of you looking to organize your desktop backgrounds- this is an excellent way to go. My desktop was a constant cycle of disorganization. I’d save files – both essential and nonessential – to my desktop under a nondescript name, crowd up my desktop to the point where files were running over each other, make a small attempt at organizing on the spot until finally I would take an hour to put everything where it should be, even if that meant into the trash. It was a waste of time, energy, and my sanity. Luckily for me, my friend Collin introduced me to yet another way of organizing a bit of my life. An organizational tactic so easy it makes you wonder how you’ve never figured this out before.

That’s it. A simple illustrator file [designed at your discretion -  I prefer neutrality when it comes to a background] allows your file organization to shoot through the roof.

By creating a few key spaces in which to “host” files and folders, I’m allowing myself to not only interact with the desktop but also to rifle through the existing files and keep a constant tab on what is necessary and what is unnecessary.

Another idea that I’ve seen used before is the “Getting Things Done” system, a layout I am currently working on as well. Here is a version of that one:

This system as a desktop background is a bit more interactive, but in the end in a professional setting when done right, allows for optimal efficiency in a stress-free zone. There are plenty of desktop backgrounds out there that have this system on there, so try it out! It could be your first step to a desktop catalog.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 2nd, 2010 at 3:31 pm. It is filed under BLOG. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.