Effectively organizing your asset libraries helps users find what they need faster and reduces the time you spend managing assets. Here are some best practices to optimize your libraries and make the most of BrandIn.
Link existing libraries
You can create new blank libraries directly from BrandIn, which also creates a corresponding document library in SharePoint. If you already have libraries or folders set up in SharePoint, you can link them to BrandIn instead of duplicating or moving assets.
Linking existing libraries offers several advantages:
- Avoids managing duplicate libraries.
- Lets you add the same library to multiple workspaces.
- Combines organization-wide and workspace-specific libraries seamlessly.
Learn how to link an existing library.
Choose the right library type for your assets
Each library type is designed for specific assets, with unique behaviours and default views. Choosing the right library type ensures you get the most out of BrandIn’s features. You can change the library type at any point in settings. Learn more about the different library types.
Reorder libraries on the home screen
You can change the order of libraries on the home screen from the workspace settings.
There are two separate tabs for organizing libraries in the settings — one for PowerPoint and one for Word. You can reorder the libraries in each tab independently, allowing you to customize how they appear in each application. Any changes you make will only apply to the corresponding application.
To reorder libraries:
- On the workspace home screen, select Edit next to the workspace name to open workspace settings.
- Go to Asset libraries.
- Select and hold the move handle (the dots on the left side of the library name) to move the library to a new position.
Use fewer libraries for better search
BrandIn's search scans the current library, including all its folders. To improve efficiency, organize assets into fewer libraries with subfolders and tag assets to reduce the need for library switching.
Use folders wisely
Folders can help organize assets but may hinder navigation in large libraries. To keep things accessible:
- Avoid deep, nested folder structures.
- Stick to a single folder level when possible.
Optimize searches with tags
Tags enhance search efficiency by making assets easier to find, even within large libraries. BrandIn searches all metadata in SharePoint, including:
- Any managed metadata your organization uses.
- Pre-existing tags in files.
- Text within PowerPoint slides.
- Automatically generated image tags.
You can add your own keywords to SharePoint columns to help team members quickly find specific assets.
Create a new SharePoint column for tags
You can add tags using any pre-existing SharePoint columns, but some automatically generated columns such as image tags don’t show for all libraries by default until an image is added to the library. If you don't already have a column set up for asset tagging, we recommend creating your own new column dedicated for BrandIn tags:
- Open the library in SharePoint: right click the library in BrandIn or select the More options button (three dots) next to it, then select Open in SharePoint.
- Once in SharePoint, follow Microsoft's guide on how to create a new column in a library. If unsure which column type to use, we recommend using a text column for flexibility.
- If you don’t want the column visible in SharePoint, you can hide the column from the main view while keeping it accessible in the details pane.
Add tags to a SharePoint column
There are two ways to add tags to assets using SharePoint columns:
To add unique tags to multiple assets:
- In the library, select Edit in grid view in the toolbar.
- Add tags to the column. If using a text column, enter keywords separated with commas.
To apply the same tags to multiple assets:
- Select the asset(s) you wish to tag.
- In the upper right corner of the document library page, select the (i) button to open the Information pane.
- Your SharePoint columns will appear as boxes under Properties. If using a text column, type in key words separated by a comma and press enter to save. This will replace any pre-existing keywords for all the assets selected.
Promote frequently used templates using folders
Every workspace includes a special template library which users can access via the New presentation or New document buttons. You can organize templates by creating folders, which is especially useful for categorizing templates by project, department, or intended use type.
Templates not placed in folders will appear at the top of the list in the New file screen, making frequently used templates easy to find. Folders will be displayed below, allowing you to organize specialized templates. Learn how to add and organize templates.
