In a recent conversation with some fellow organizers we were discussing the different settings on a label maker; font sizes, borders, caps versus lowercase letter, the list goes on.  While to many the detail of how the label looks is insignificant, its purpose it to tell me what goes in the specific bin or file.  To others, the aesthetics of the label is very important-the capital letters indicate something more important than information in lowercase letters.

While in many respects I felt that organizing materials were what they were and there wasn’t much fancy about a manila file.  Today, office supply stores offer a vast selection of decorated and colored files.  This not only may help with keeping a section visually connected in your filing system, but will also appeal to your aesthetic enjoyment of the papers.

When working with a client on paper organizing, I discovered that the army green hanging files were not acceptable to her for her filing system.  Thankfully, the vast array of colors available enabled her to satisfy her own style.  Having an aesthetically pleasing filing system will likely keep her motivated to maintain the system too.

So be specific with your labels and replace the beige manila files if aesthetics are important to you.  Just because the file may live in a drawer does not mean you don’t interact with it on a regular basis.  Go ahead!  Have fun and be creative!