course prefix and number + shortened version of your name + assignment/project name
A course prefix of Mgd and a course number of 1011 would be included in a file name as Mgd1011
A first and last name of Cookie Monster would be included in a file name as CookieM
A project or assignment named Nursing Logo Project could be included in the file name as NursingLogo
Take notice that spaces have been strategically removed in each component but having some way to separate the components in a filename can help with readability. We will use the underscore ( _ ) to separate the components in a file name and the dash ( - ) to link related but distinct items within a filename (like your name and the project name). It is also important to avoid using special characters, such as: ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) ` ; : < > ? . , [ ] { } ' " |
Taking the three file name components above we'd write the file name as:
Mgd1011_CookieM-NursingLogo
Things are looking good but we are missing one vital thing. The file format is also known as the extension file type and it needs to be included on a file to help us and the software know exactly what kind of file it is, and how to work with it (in a way that maintains the integrity of the encoding).
The above example indicates it would be for an Adobe Photoshop course so the source file type extension would be .psd which would give us this:
Mgd1011_CookieM-NursingLogo.psd
This is a great example of a file name using the SFN spec with a file type extension indicating this is a Photoshop encoded source design file. There is a nice use of CamelCase to help us with readability, no spaces to trip up software (or browsers), a use of an underscore and dash to help us note relationships within the file name and a file type extension that tells us exactly what kind of file this is. Unless otherwise noted, a source design file using the SFN spec is required for any graded submission.
MGD 1011 Adobe Photoshop → .psd
MGD 1012 Adobe Illustrator → .ai
MGD 1013 Adobe InDesign → .indd
Adobe Acrobat → .pdf
Joint Photographic Experts Group → .jpg or .jpeg
Microsoft Word → .docx
NOTE: 99% of the time a file type extension should only be added by the software and not manually (because corrupted files = 😢).
Lessons are unique to MGD 1011, 1012, and 1013 courses where a starting file name is often given to you in the lesson. It is still your responsibility to adapt the file name to meet the SFN format spec in Dj's courses. For example, if an MGD 1011 Photoshop 1 CIB lesson instructs you to save a file as 01Working.psd and your name is Cookie Monster a BFF-named file would be:
Mgd1011_CookieM-01Working.psd
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
PRO TIP: Whenever a lesson, assignment, project, client, coworker, or employer prompts you to save a file that is generally the best time to strategically name it (unless you like the extra work of renaming files later).
Using the SFN spec (and similar strategies) you can confidently say to your files “You're Not the Boss of Me”!