Organising Work

Organising our work is as important as the work itself. Below are guiding principles that ensure structure and consistency across the organisation.

Guiding Principles

• If you have a task that takes less than 10 minutes then get it done, such as writing up meeting notes or scheduling a meeting.
• All files that are created should be saved in SharePoint, in the relevant folder, and should not be on your local machine.
• OneDrive should be set up and enabled on your laptop for syncing.
• If working on a file, do this from where the file will be saved permanently.
• Use clear file titles so others can easily understand the purpose of the document.
• Do not include:
  • Version numbers
  • Statuses, for example DRAFT or WIP
  • Hyphens or underscores for spaces
  • Special characters
• Choose the correct tool for the job at hand, for example Airtable for workflows or Confluence for text-heavy internal documentation. Do not use tools that are not in our paid tool suite.
• Slack is not the place to upload documents. Save in SharePoint so everything is in one location with features such as version control and collaboration.

SharePoint

SharePoint is our storage hub at Storyteller and should be used to save all files.

• SharePoint is part of the Microsoft suite and therefore syncs with OneDrive.
• Use customisable permission settings when sharing internally and externally to ensure documents are not incorrectly viewed or modified.
• All modern tools, including SharePoint, have version control so do not include versions in file titles.
• We use a logical hierarchical folder structure, so use common sense when saving files so they can be easily retrieved.
• If you are not sure where a file should go, ask in #business-operations.

Airtable

Airtable is a key tool with functionality similar to both a spreadsheet and a database. At Storyteller it is primarily used for workflows such as tracking actions for delivery or our product roadmap.

• We have 4 main Airtable bases which power Storyteller and are outlined in the Tools page. Most work should connect to these bases, so do not start a new one without posting in #business-operations first.
• Every base should have an owner with a short description of its purpose.
• Every table should follow the same convention with an owner and short description.
• It is the owner's responsibility to ensure the base and tables are up to date.
• If an owner is leaving the organisation then ownership needs to be transferred so there is always accountability.
• The basics for Airtable must always be followed, including having only necessary fields and ensuring all fields have the right data entered.
• All tasks/actions must have a detailed yet concise description so anyone can understand the premise.
• To keep work organised, use automations where relevant and sync tables to keep everything connected.
• Link records between tables so everything to do with a client, project, or task is connected.

Airtable Personal Views

As we use Airtable as the source of truth for clients, features, and actions, it is important to keep on top of any action assigned to you.

• In the relevant Airtable where you have actions, click Create Grid View in the bottom-left corner.
• Select the option to keep this as your personal view so it is not visible to anyone else.
• Filter this view to show actions assigned only to you and not marked as done.
• Add other filters/groupings that suit your needs, such as grouping by client.

Your personal view in actions must be scanned every day, with relevant information filled in and updated where necessary. Actions should not be added and then left.

If you are assigned a task and are not sure what it is, ask.

Figma

Figma is our design tool used for everything from UX/UI, story templates, and presentations.

• The Figma structure is: Organisation > Team > Project > File > Page
• Example: Storyteller > NBA > Content > NBA - Game Stories > pages such as O&O Story, Pre-Season, and Thumbnails
• Title files by client and feature, such as NBA - Game Stories
• Title pages clearly, such as Pre-Season
• Divide large projects into pages to manage complexity and keep files nimble
• Use clear names for layers, frames, and files to improve organisation and handoff
• Use frames to group related layers, control resizing, and apply styles
• Establish a visual flow (left-to-right or top-to-bottom) to maintain clarity
• Regularly archive outdated work and clean up files
• Create and organise components and libraries to maintain consistency and efficiency

Figma Permissions

As noted above, the Figma structure is Organisation > Team > Project > File > Page. Everyone in the company should be able to access and edit any file without being added to a specific team, project, or file.

The default permissions setting on any file should be Who can access > Storyteller and What can they do > Edit unless there is a strong reason not to.

When we need read-only access for specific files for clients we turn on Anyone Can View in the Figma file sharing settings. The consequence is that it can override organisation-level settings for users, meaning people in the company no longer have edit access.

The solution is to add people who need edit access to the Figma team, not to the project or file.

If you need edit access to a Figma file then ask in the #it Slack channel. Do not use the Figma permission request flow.