Independent Web Studio

A web project folder is not busywork. It is the record that keeps the project moving when a decision is revisited, a colleague joins, or the client asks what was approved. Make one client/project folder before you build anything and use it as the shared source of truth.

Create clear areas for the brief and goals, approved copy, approved assets, design files, implementation notes, decisions and changes, QA, launch evidence, and handoff. Keep credentials out of ordinary documents. Instead, record the secure system used for access and the person who owns each account.

Use plain filenames that a client can understand. Date only files that genuinely need version history. When the client approves copy, design, or launch, save the decision with enough context that a future reader knows what was approved and why. A running change log often prevents more confusion than an elaborate project-management system.

AI can help turn meeting notes into a draft summary, but read it before filing it. The folder is only trustworthy if the team corrects errors and stores the final decision, not the first automated interpretation.

Definition of done: a new person could open the folder and find the approved goal, approved content, account owners, current decisions, QA status, and handoff materials.

Next: Use ChatGPT to plan and operate web projects. Return to the Independent Web Studio guide.