# Naming your areas and categories

> Ideas about how to name your areas and categories.

Naming areas and categories can be difficult. I find areas are the hardest: by definition, you're trying to convey a lot of information in a few words.

I seem to strive for single- or double-word area names. But why? Be descriptive: it's a computer. Words are free.

_(If you're at work Microsoft will ruin this for you. You'll run in to [filename length restrictions](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/restrictions-and-limitations-in-onedrive-and-sharepoint-64883a5d-228e-48f5-b3d2-eb39e07630fa#filenamepathlengths) sooner rather than later.)_

## 'Spatial' names

Lucy and I had an idea over dinner the other week: name your areas like places. Keeping something creative? Call it `The studio`. Where does all of your paperwork live? `The office`, of course. You might keep your research in `The library`.

Computers are boring: making them interesting in _any tiny way_ helps your brain.

## Input vs. output

In the creative bubble that is our studio, we use Johnny.Decimal to track the creation of artefacts for LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.

This is a pattern that I'll document when I'm happy with it – it's a tricky one that I don't think we've nailed yet – but one thing I've found helps is differentiating between 'inputs' and 'outputs'.

'Inputs' are things you need _in order to create a thing._ In the creative world this might be your logo and brand colours.

'Outputs' are _the things you create:_ the video that is eventually seen by the world.

So rather than naming the area

- `Creative material`, name it
- `Creative material (input)`.

Rather than

- `Marketing`,
- `Marketing (output)` might be clearer.