File Naming Framework

26 July 2013

Suggested standard for naming files of most types of design artifacts.

This suggested standard aims to:

  • provide a preview of the file’s info thru the file name
  • organize the versioning system of files

<project-name>_<project-type>_<artifact-type>_<designer-name>_<date>_<version>.<file-extension>

Example:

  • Project: Chikka blog
  • Type: website
  • Artifact: Mock-up
  • Designer: Dys
  • Date: July 26, 2013
  • Version: first
  • App: Photoshop
  • Exported image: PNG

Usage:

  • chikka-blog_web_mu_dys_20130726_1a.psd
  • chikka-blog_web_mu_dys_20130726_1a.png

Pointers:

  • small caps only
  • no spaces
  • use dash ( – ) for separator within a segment
  • use underscore ( _ ) for separator between segments

Project types:

  • Website (desktop) – web
  • Website (mobile) – web-m
  • Android smartphone app – and
  • Android tablet app – and-t
  • iPhone app – ipn
  • iPad app – ipd

Artifact types:

  • Sketch – sk
  • Wireframe – wf
  • Mock-up – mu

Designer (free to change)

  • Dys – dys
  • Mike – mik
  • Tess – tess
  • Desiree – des

Date format: <YYYY><MM><DD>

Version format: <number><letter>

  • always start at “1a”
  • if only one person is designing two studies, name it “1a”, “2a”
  • after exporting the design and a revision must be done, increment the letter, e.g., from “1a” to “1b” and so on