Software & SaaS
How to set up binder sections and tabs
A binder is only useful if people can find a page in seconds. This guide walks through planning sections and tabs, using a home renovation binder as a worked example.
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Step one: decide the questions the binder answers
Before creating any tab, list the questions you will ask most often. For a renovation binder these might be: what did we agree to pay, what is approved, who do I call, and what is still open. Each question suggests a section. Resist building sections around file types such as PDFs or photos, because you rarely search that way. Aim for five to eight top-level sections; more than that and the cover becomes a menu you must study. Write the questions down first, then name each section after the answer it holds.
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Step two: build tabs with a consistent order
Within the renovation binder, create sections for Contracts, Budget, Permits, Contacts, Decisions and Warranties. Place them in the order you will need them, with active material first and archive material last. Inside each section, use dates at the start of page titles so items sort themselves, for example the year, month and day followed by a short label. Keep tab names short enough to read at a glance. Use the same pattern in every binder you make, so a person opening a new one already knows where to look.
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Step three: add a review habit and a catch-all
Create one tab called Inbox for anything you have not filed yet, and set a weekly ten-minute review to move items into their proper sections. In the renovation example, receipts and photos taken on site land in the Inbox, then move to Budget or Decisions on Friday. During the review, delete duplicates, retitle vague pages and note open items on the front page. At the end of the project, mark the binder as archived and keep only Warranties and Contacts readily visible for later reference.