The filing, process and stationery a practice needs in place before the work arrives.
Set it up once, then stop deciding where things go and how things get done.
The folder structure is the foundation everything else sits in. Unzip it into wherever your practice files actually live, then read the guide.
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DOWNLOAD PRACTICE FOLDER STRUCTURE
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DOWNLOAD FOLDER STRUCTURE GUIDE
Practice_Folder_Structure_Guide.docx
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The ZIP contains ten practice-level folders plus a reusable blank project folder at 06 PROJECTS / 0000 PROJECT NAME. Duplicate that blank folder for every new commission and rename it with the project number first. Every folder is deliberately empty - add folders when you repeatedly need them, and delete any you never use.
A standard operating procedure is worth writing when a task recurs and you keep doing it slightly differently. Use the blank template for your own processes; the worked example shows the level of detail that actually gets followed.
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DOWNLOAD SOP TEMPLATE
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DOWNLOAD WORKED SOP: SETTING UP A NEW PROJECT
SOP_Example_Setting_Up_a_New_Project.docx
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The worked SOP runs from accepted appointment to first design meeting, and connects the pieces: project number, folder, appointment and fee record, project information, the fee and time tracker, the brief, the decision record, scope and change control, and the first actions.
Keep SOPs short enough that someone will actually use them. Link to the relevant template rather than reproducing it.
Both are practice-neutral. Replace the logo placeholder with your own and fill in the bracketed details once.
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DOWNLOAD LETTERHEAD TEMPLATE
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DOWNLOAD COMPLIMENT SLIP TEMPLATE
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The compliment slip sheet holds three slips on one A4 page with cut rules between them.
These files organise how the practice stores information and repeats work. They do not replace your live workspace: the project itself belongs in Projects, and the next steps belong in Actions.