Sync Your Design Files Now to Prevent Disaster Later
You know that design file that you spent weeks pouring your heart and soul into? Wouldn’t it be a shame if it disappeared? Prevent this from happening by syncing your files now. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back in helping you with disaster recovery efforts if you’ve found yourself facing an L. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about disaster recovery, including:
- Why designers need disaster recovery plans
- Where to start with creating a simple, life-changing recovery plan
- Choosing the right platform with all the necessary features
Do designers need disaster recovery plans?
The answer is always yes. A million times, yes. Whether it’s a virus, DDoS attack, missing company laptops, hacked customer data, a fire, or something worse, it doesn’t take much for a disaster to completely shut down your business. There are a number of events that could cause you to lose data or access to your data. Regardless of what that is, disaster recovery is an absolute must. The best advice we can get you is to start syncing the files you do have left, ASAP.
How to create a disaster recovery plan
A timely and well planned recovery can ultimately make or break your company, so having one in place before something occurs will save you from scrambling. This doesn’t need to be difficult but it’s best to remember that not ever disaster recovery plan fits into the “one size fits all” category. Variables that make your plan unique are your company size, industry, number of employees, organizational and management structure, insurance policies, technology ownership, and more.
First and foremost, you should create a business impact analysis by determining at-risk functions, evaluate recovery times, and determine potential costs. Creating and running a BIA is a necessary first step as the information you discover within your BIA will guide your entire plan. Then, you’ll want to actually plan for specific events, including identifying specific risks and vulnerabilities. For organizational purposes, split up your disaster recovery plan into the following sections:
- Types of disasters
- Description of responsibilities (In other words, identify key individuals to handle specific tasks.)
- Immediate responses
- Intermediate recovery actions
- Long-term recovery actions
Sure, creating a disaster recovery plan seems complex but it really only needs some heavy time investment at the beginning. You’ll thank us in the end.
Make sure you choose the right platform to support syncing your files
Deciding what platform to use for syncing your design files, make sure you choose one with all the right features. The big ones you should be looking for are outlined below:
1. Stay up to date
Find a platform that keeps all files up to date, even after it’s been synced. It would be a shame if you’ve made edits to a document on your laptop and it doesn’t update on another devices like a phone or tablet. There are some platforms that allow you to monitor progress of files uploading or syncing.
2. Speed and ease is key
Choose a platform that is available everywhere, from your mac, android, tablet, all the way to your favorite browser. This allows you to efficiently sync files on the ago or in the office all the while automatically syncing to all your devices.
3. Ability to recover deleted files
It happens to the best of us. Whether you accidentally delete a file or intentionally do so thinking you’ll no longer need it, finding a platform that can restore files will offer you some relief in the end. Platforms that allow shareable team files are a plus, too. Deleting a shared folder only jeopardizes your account while others will be able to keep their access. You can simply add the folder back at any time and no one will have to know about your little hiccup.
4. For teams and individuals
You’ll get more bang for your buck if you purchase a platform that allows collaboration anytime and anywhere. Syncing all business files in one place permits you to easily share work and collect feedback. You can even keep your sensitive company information separate from your personal files in one account.
Whether you’re here because you’ve lost files in the past or want to prevent this tragedy from occurring, you’re taking a step in the right direction by learning more. Having absolutely no recovery plan is irreversibly damaging and will cost you a shiny penny to recover from. The hard truth is that simply having a data backup is horribly insufficient, too. Every business needs a solid disaster recovery plan and now that you know what it takes, we suggest you get started!