How to Archive Better
The Network for Archives of Design and Digital Culture presents a modest DIY-guide with practical information and clear tips that can help designers and makers get started archiving their work. Archiving turns out to be less difficult than it seems, and can even be a stimulating and natural part of the design practice.
To get right to the point: archiving is something you already do. It is collecting and storing information in such a way that it can be used now and later on for various purposes. This guide, developed by the Network of Archives for Design and Digital Culture helps you take the first step in your personal archiving process, determining size, what does and does not belong, and creating quality frameworks. Feel free to write in it, work in it, and above all – use it your way. In the links below you will find printable versions of all current editions.
Section 1: You, the archivist!
In this first section, you will discover what archiving means and what is relevant for you to keep. Why is archiving important, and what can you do if your time or budget is limited? What do you actually gain from it?
Sometimes there is already a concrete goal such as saving a project for a future exhibition or sharing the knowledge gained in the working process. Often, you do not know now why you will need your archive later. So where do you start and what do you include?
Section 2: How do you take care of your archive?
You obviously want your archive to stay alive and intact. How do you ensure the right conditions? How do you create a workable overview? Last but not least, how does archiving become a natural and satisfying part of your practice? This section shows, among other things, how to create an overview, how to arm your archive against unwanted visitors or bit rot, and offers inspiration for better archiving of digital materials.
Stay tuned!
The Network of Archives for Design and Digital Culture is currently developing new sections of the archiving guide. Stay tuned for updates via our socials (Instagram or LinkedIn) or subscribe to our newsletter.