01
List the material and the reader tasks first
Write a short inventory with an item title, a one-sentence description and the task it could help someone complete. For the fictional workshop, a beginner lesson may explain a technique while an equipment instruction describes a particular tool. Keep those purposes visible before assigning folders. Avoid copying an existing folder structure merely because it is familiar to the organiser. The inventory should reveal which distinctions matter to the intended readers and where a title alone is too vague to support a sensible decision.
02
Define what belongs inside each branch
Choose a small set of category labels and write a sentence describing what each includes. Add an example and, where useful, a nearby item that belongs elsewhere. In the workshop library, project examples and tool instructions may overlap without being interchangeable. Give an item one agreed primary location and add a cross-reference where another route would help. Record uncertain placements for review rather than creating a new category for every awkward item. The purpose is a usable set of boundaries, not a perfectly symmetrical diagram.
03
Walk through realistic searches before expanding
Take several questions a reader might ask and follow the proposed labels to an item that addresses each one. Record where the route depends on insider vocabulary or where two labels promise the same thing. These walkthrough notes are internal observations, not a substitute for actual reader feedback. Revise the labels and category descriptions together, retaining the reason for changes. As new resources arrive, compare them with those definitions before adding branches. A dated category record helps the collection grow without losing the logic that made it navigable.