a concise guide to archiving for designers, published by aiga and nago

8/7/2019 A Concise Guide to Archiving for Designers, published by AIGA and NAGO

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Th sdocument

conta nsimages

thatmaynfluence

yourconsc ence


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1

Do not keep everything.

Archiving is identifying.

Archiving is not the same as keeping.

It is about identifying items of lastingvalue. Consider what can contribute

towards a representative overview.his includes not only the pieces that

document the design process, but alsoother material that gives insight into the

work (or life) of a designer or a studio.


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2

eep the process,

not only the final result.

Save sketches, preliminary studies, modelsand prototypes. Also consider retaining

documents such as correspondence,invoices, reports and publications.

eep copies of print, digital images andaudiovisual media in your archive.

A carefully preserved master as wellas access copies should be kept. In short,

keep anything that provides insight intowhy something appears as it does,and save it in more than one format.


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4

Describe what you have and

here you have it stored.

f you do not know what you have orwhere you kept it, it might as well be lost.

By recording this information you ensureothers can also find it. For example,

document not only the client, the title,the type of object and the year, but also

the box, file or tube and where it isstored. Develop a system that is intuitive

and will work for both physical anddigital files.


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5

eep your archive in a safe

place high and dry.

Do not keep your archive in a basement,next to the washing machine, under

a leaking roof, in a drafty shed or in anyother area where items may be exposedto the elements. Avoid direct sunlight,

heavy dust and extreme fluctuationin relative humidity and temperature.


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6

Remove the enemies.

ost office supplies destroy paper overtime. Softeners in plastic sheets tarnish

the ink. The acid in cardboard folders andboxes make papers yellow and brittle.

Do not use adhesive tape, metal fastenersor rubber bands. Paperclips and staplesrust, and most adhesives, including thaton Post-its, discolor and leave residue

behind. Use care when removing theseenemies from your archival material.


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7

Protect your archive from mold,

animals and bugs.

Do not be an animal-lover when it comesto conserving your archive. Keep the

storage area clean and dry, and do notallow mold, rot, insects, rodents or any

ets near your archive. To promotea pest-free environment, keep food and

water away from the archive.


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Safely house your archives in

suitable boxes, files, folders or tubes.

Do not stuff! Avoid putting too much inany box, file, folder or tube. Choose the

right container for each kind of material.Buy acid-free and lignin-free boxes and

olders, and do not stack the piles toohigh. And be sure to clearly and

consistently indicate on the outsideexactly what the contents are inside.


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9

Think about digital durability.

The durability of digital storage suchas CDs and DVDs is limited. Choose

a storage system that will last longer (forexample, a hard drive rather than a CD).Keep backups on several types of storageto minimize the risk of losing your data.Be mindful of magnetic fields that may

wipe the data from the device. Consider

remote storage for archival mastersand digital backups. ransfer the datato newer storage from time to time.


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10

Keep old technology

and equipment.

eep old equipment and softwareso that data can be accessed in the future.

Make sure you have enough timeto migrate the data to modern storageto avoid media failure a real threator machine readable formats whenthe technology becomes obsolete.

echnology may be discontinued

every five to ten years.


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A Concise Guide to Archiving for Designers

is a publication from the Netherlands Archive for

Graphic Designers (NAGO), a foundation that seeksto collect, preserve and provide digital accessto the archives of prominent Dutch designers.

The archives are published on its website: www.nago.nlT + 31 (0)30 2444444 E [email protected]

Text: Karin van der Heiden, NAGO.

Design: Dietwee design and communication, Utrecht(Sybren Kuiper, Sander Schinkel). www.dietwee.nl

2008 NAGO, Utrecht, Netherlands

a concise guide to archiving for designers, published by aiga and nago

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