Welcome to Issue 6 of the Visual Assembly series.
It’s a visual communications course tucked inside a newsletter.
Each week, you get a bite-sized lesson on transforming your visuals into brand-building assets.

Help! My Desktop Ate My Logo!
​(A Creative’s Guide to Digital Organization)

Until recently, my digital desktop would make Marie Kondo weep — and I know I wasn’t alone. Like many visual thinkers, I usually rely on remembering the general location of files based on where I see them on my screen. The arrangement makes perfect sense to my visual brain, but let’s be honest: this approach doesn’t scale.

After years of trial and error (and plenty of lost files), I’ve found that the most straightforward systems often work best for visual thinkers like us. Today, I want to share how to build your own Visual Command Center — an approach that’s helped me and several of my coaching clients bring clarity to our creative chaos.

It starts with just two folders — a structure both flexible enough for creative minds and organized enough to grow with your business.

From Creative Chaos to Visual Clarity

Think of this system like a creative kitchen: you have your ingredients (Brand Foundation) and your finished dishes (Visual Library). Here’s how each folder serves your creative process:

🔵 Folder 1: Your Brand Foundation

This is your visual source of truth — the core elements that make your brand instantly recognizable:

✅ Logo files
✅ Color codes
✅ Fonts
✅ Icons
✅ Brand design elements
✅ Style guide

🔵 Folder 2: Your Visual Library

This is where your brand comes to life — your workspace for finished pieces and works in progress:

✅ Templates
✅ Photos
✅ Created graphics
✅ Finished artwork

The beauty of this setup is its flexibility. Your Brand Foundation stays lean and consistent, while your Visual Library can grow and evolve with your business.

This Week’s Build: Your Visual Command Center

Ready to bring some order to the creative chaos? Here’s your quick-start guide:

1️⃣ Create two main folders in your cloud storage and name them Brand Foundation and Visual Library

2️⃣ Set up your Brand Foundation subfolders (logos, colors, fonts, etc.)

3️⃣ Set up your Visual Library subfolders (templates, photos, etc.)

4️⃣ Start by moving your 5 most-used files into their new homes

5️⃣ Create shortcuts to both folders for easy access

Pro tip: Set a 15-minute timer. You might be surprised how much you can accomplish in a focused sprint.

Quick note on syncing: If you use cloud storage like Dropbox or Google Drive, install their desktop app to keep your folders synced locally. This way, you'll have instant access to your files, whether you're online or offline, and any changes automatically sync to the cloud.

Your Next Steps

✅ Set up your Visual Command Center with two main folders
✅ Delete duplicate files as you find them
✅ Share your folder structure with collaborators

With your Brand Foundation housing your core elements and your Visual Library storing your creations, you’ll always know exactly where everything lives.

This week's SOLO Insight: Chaos constricts creativity.
True creativity flourishes when you can focus on making, not managing. When your visual assets are organized, your mind is free to do what it does best: create.

That’s why the most valuable 15 minutes you spend today might be the ones you use to start your Visual Command Center. Your future self (the one frantically searching for that perfect image at midnight) will thank you.

Coming Soon: Create Months of Content in Days

I'm deep in the weeds of creating Content Velocity™, my 5-day sprint for solopreneurs who want to create quality content with AI assistance. This online course will give you a system to streamline your writing and publishing without abandoning the quality.
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I've been smiling every day as I create this course, knowing how much it will help those who hate the blank page and face the burden of producing engaging content consistently for their audience.
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You can check out the waitlist page I've set up for more details.

The target date for Content Velocity is late March. The registration cart will open in early March — with bonuses and early pricing opportunities for those on the waitlist.

💎 Fresh finds for creative minds

Here are three gems this week from around the Web for all types of visual thinkers and solopreneurs:

🌊 Big Idea Reading: The 3 Waves of AI​
Whether you embrace AI or not, James Currier’s influential article on AI’s impact remains essential reading a year later. This 5-minute read puts AI in the context of major technological shifts, offering a crucial perspective for every creative thinker and business owner. His insights (as a General Partner at VC firm NfX) on how this wave will reshape our daily lives are more relevant than ever. (And if you're a futurist, be sure to also read his article, Find the Fast-Moving Water.)

🏭 Inside the app icon factory​
Ever wonder how app icons are made? Perhaps in a factory? That’s the premise behind this delightful short video posted on Threads (originally created by Jigar Patel, @jigpx on IG), where you’ll discover the inside secrets of how those familiar images come to life. The animation is very impressive, and you’ll never look at app icons the same way again.

​📕 Design wisdom for DIY publishers​​
Debbie Berne’s The Design of Books demystifies publishing design for non-designers, brimming with insights from her 20 years of book design experience. If (like me) you’re into ligatures, gutters, and galleys — or you just want your writing to look good on the page — check out this clear, practical, and accessible guide to getting words into print.

⭐️ Have an item I should share in this section? Don’t keep it a secret. Email me with your find!

Three more quick things

🔵 Women Solopreneurs Coworking sessions continue each Tuesday. Bring your To-Do list items and spend an hour working on them in the company of other women business owners. Then stay for the optional short networking session to expand your connections. Low stress, come as you are, and it’s free. A click here will put you on the list, and details will be on their way to your inbox.
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🔵 Looking for a thinking partner for your solo business? I have one coaching spot available for a creative solopreneur ready to grow. If you’d like to explore whether we’d be a good fit, let’s have a brief conversation. Send me a note, and we’ll schedule a chat.

🔵 Love SOLO? Share your thoughts! I’m collecting reader testimonials to help more solopreneurs discover this newsletter. Click here to share your feedback and promote your own business, too. I’m grateful for your support.

OK, that's a wrap for this issue.
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Did you miss our first few issues of Visual Assembly? You can find them here.​
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Want to check out past issues? Visit the SOLO Newsletter archive.

Know someone who wants to know more about using visuals to communicate and stand out? Share this newsletter with another solopreneur!

And if you received this issue from a friend, I invite you to subscribe.

Thanks again for being a SOLO reader and coming along on this adventure!​

Until next week,