Asset Handoff When the Folder Is a Mess
You inherit a project mid-stream. The shared folder contains: 'logo_final.ai', 'logo_final2.ai', 'logo_FINAL_use this.ai', three JPEGs named IMG_2043, IMG_2044, IMG_2045, a font folder with two unlicensed-looking files, and a layered PSD with 40 unnamed layers. The client needs a web banner, a print ad, and a social post by Friday. A colleague who built the original files has left. You must produce the three outputs and leave the folder usable for the next person.
1. How do you triage the folder before designing anything?
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Audit first, build second:
- Identify the real master. Open the three logo files, check modification dates, layer structure, and whether text is outlined. Pick the one with the cleanest structure, not the one with the loudest filename. Rename it clearly (e.g., logo_master_v1.ai) and note why.
- Inspect the JPEGs. Open each, check dimensions and content, and rename by subject (e.g., hero_bike_01.jpg). Record pixel dimensions so you know which can support print.
- Check fonts. Confirm licensing. If the files are questionable, substitute a licensed font or outline the existing text, and flag it.
- Open the PSD. Rename layers by content as you use them, group by element, and hide anything unused.
This triage prevents building on the wrong master and surfaces the font risk before it reaches print.
2. What folder structure and naming convention do you establish, and why does it matter for the three outputs?
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A simple, predictable structure:
project/
01_source/ masters, layered files, fonts (with license notes)
02_assets/ images, logos, icons, renamed by subject
03_working/ in-progress layouts
04_output/ web_banner/, print_ad/, social_post/
Naming: client_asset_type_version (e.g., banner_web_970x250_v2.png). No spaces, no 'final', no dates in the filename unless needed; use version numbers.
Why it matters here: three outputs draw on the same assets but need different sizes and color modes. Keeping one source folder and separate output folders prevents the web banner from accidentally using the print CMYK file, and lets the next person find the master without guessing. Link assets rather than embedding duplicates where the tool allows, so a logo update propagates.
3. How do you handle the unlicensed fonts and the unnamed PSD layers responsibly?
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Fonts: do not ship unlicensed fonts. Check the license files; if none exist, treat them as unusable for output. Options: substitute a licensed equivalent, or convert existing text to outlines in the final files so the font is not distributed. Document the substitution so the client can approve it. Flag the licensing gap in your handoff note.
PSD layers: rename as you work, group by function (background, product, text, logo), and delete or hide unused layers. This is not cosmetic; it lets the next designer find and edit elements, and it reduces file size for handoff. Leave a short readme in the folder listing the master file, the fonts used and their status, and where each output lives. That readme is the difference between a usable handoff and another 'final2' mystery.