Five Steps to a Kinkless Desktop

How did it come to this?

Kinkless Desktop 5: Cruelty can be kind

UPDATE: Amber V. and some other readers spotted an error in the ruleset for applying green labels. I’ve corrected that rule now and re-uploaded the zip file. Please continue to post improvements and ideas in the comments as I’ll be collecting them for a later update article to this methodology.

This screencast demonstrates the use of Hazel to keep my Inbox, Outbox and Pending folders tidy, including labeling the files in them based on age and whether I’ve accessed them.

Links in the sidebar aren’t working, it would seem, so here’s a link to download the rules for the time being.

Before starting, however, please note that there are some links and downloads to the right. You can jump over to Noodlesoft to grab a beta of the 2.0 version of Hazel and I’ve also provided download links for the Hazel rules that I’m using in this screencast. Download them, try them (cautiously when it comes to deleting stuff) and let me know how they are working for you!

Keep in mind that this the current Hazel 2.0 is beta software. Do yourself a *huge* favor right now and go to this Noodlesoft forum thread for the most recent beta update information. You will need to make a user account, but it’s quick and painless and will keep you abreast of the updated releases. Lovely.

Kinkless Desktop 4: Capture and access easily

In this screencast, I briefly demonstrate using the sidebar favorites in Finder to ensure that your new folders are easily accessible from any application and how I’m using smart folders so that I can keep my capture-databases filed away but still have them easily accessible on the desktop, along with recently opened files.

Kinkless Desktop 3. Aesthetic Computing and Usability

You can start with the article below or jump to the video:

Computing should be an aesthetic experience. Our environment impacts our mood and creativity. For this reason, and to provide us with distinct visual cues as to the function of each of our new folders, we’ll assign custom icons to them.

I’m using a couple tools to style my system wide folders.

Kinkless Desktop 2: Fight Desktop Entropy

You can start with the article below or jump to the video:

Now that your desktop is in its most natural denuded state, it’s time to try and stop the seemingly inevitable build up of new stuff. Our trick is going to be applying good real-world habits to your computer’s desktop.

Kinkless Desktop 1: The "No Mercy" Cleanup

We’ll assume you’re starting out with a messy desktop. If this is not the case, congratulations and you can skip this step after doing a little dance of exultation. Extra credit if you film and submit the dance with a shot of your desktop.

I’ve mentioned that there are two basic reasons that your desktop becomes cluttered: