Top three tips for managing digital assets

Organization isn't just about the physical space around us—whether at work or at home. In fact, managing your digital assets is equally important when it comes to keeping your overall environment clutter-free and efficient.

With New Year’s resolutions just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get digitally organized. Here are three essential tips for managing your assets effectively.

1. Clean up inactive files

Home tidying expert Marie Kondo once famously asked, "Does this spark joy?" While asking that question for every single digital file isn't realistic, finding and cleaning up old or unused files certainly is.

For example, if you use Google Drive, you can easily find stale files by sorting the files you own by "last modified date." This quickly highlights which assets are no longer in active use. At the University of Minnesota, OIT recommends cleaning up old files every month, but if that’s too time-consuming, simply commit to a scheduled cadence that works for your schedule.

2. Use a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system for final versions

High-quality images and videos can take up significant storage space. If available, using a DAM system can help alleviate some of that burden on your personal files. For best practice, the files stored in your DAM should be the highest quality available, as most systems can resize images based on your specific needs. A good DAM is more than just storage; it’s a central, organized repository where your team can quickly find, share and track approved brand assets.

By using a DAM, you ensure everyone is accessing the same, correct version of an image or document, minimizing the risk of using outdated branding or low-resolution files. It also helps with version control and tracking usage rights. Work with your DAM system administrator to ensure all final assets are consistently uploaded, tagged with appropriate metadata and properly archived when retired.

3. Establish a Consistent File Naming Convention

When it comes to file naming, the golden rule is consistency. Your file names should be informative enough to instantly decipher the content. The Libraries offer a great guide, but some common tips include:

• Be brief yet descriptive.
• Use the date format YYYYMMDD.
• Instead of spaces, use underscores (_), hyphens (-), or remove the spaces entirely.
• Consider how the files will sort alphabetically.

Ready to tidy up?

Implementing these three steps ensures that you improve efficiency and maintain compliance across your digital asset library.

If you have questions about managing digital assets, reach out to [email protected].