Bringing order to chaos

There’s a certain irony in the way creativity thrives on structure. For years, I resisted that idea. I used to think design was all about spontaneity—letting ideas flow naturally, building things from scratch every time, chasing that moment of pure inspiration. But here’s the thing: creativity, at least the kind that works under deadlines and client expectations, can’t exist in a state of complete disorder. It needs structure. It needs organisation.

And nowhere is that more evident than in file management.

The Art of Not Losing Your Mind

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as wasting time searching for a missing file. You know the one—it’s named something like Final_V2_ActualFinal_THISONE.psd, buried in a folder called “Misc” because, at the time, you thought you’d remember where you put it. Multiply that by dozens of projects, countless assets, and multiple clients, and suddenly, you’re spending half your day playing detective instead of designing.

Implementing a proper file structure might not be the most exciting part of the job, but it’s one of the most essential. A clean, well-labelled workspace means fewer distractions, faster workflows, and, most importantly, a clearer headspace to focus on the actual design. Because nothing kills creative momentum quite like a frantic search for a missing logo file.

The Figma Factor

Figma has been a game-changer in many ways, but for me, its most valuable feature isn’t the fancy prototyping tools or live collaboration—it’s the ability to build structured, reusable design systems. Having a well-organised component library in Figma is the difference between struggling through every new project and working efficiently with a framework that lets you focus on the fun part: the design itself.

With properly set up components, you’re no longer redrawing buttons, manually aligning layouts, or hunting for that one specific icon you used three projects ago. Instead, everything is at your fingertips, ready to be pulled into place with minimal effort. It’s like having a well-stocked workshop—when all your tools are in order, you don’t waste time looking for a hammer when you should be building.

Efficiency Fuels Creativity

Some people think organisation stifles creativity, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. When your workflow is streamlined, when you’re not constantly dealing with digital clutter, your brain has more room to focus on ideas rather than logistics. You can spend time experimenting, pushing boundaries, and refining your designs instead of getting bogged down in repetitive tasks.

The best design work often comes from a space of clarity. And while that clarity might start on the canvas, it’s maintained through everything that surrounds it—how you structure your files, how you build your libraries, how you eliminate unnecessary roadblocks in your process.

Bringing order to chaos isn’t just about keeping your workspace tidy. It’s about giving your creativity the space to thrive. And in a profession where ideas are everything, that’s a structure worth building.