Workflow Optimization

Streamline your photo browsing and organization workflow with these proven strategies.

Keyboard-First Workflow

Achieving maximum efficiency through keyboard mastery.

Learning Progression

Week 1: Essential Navigation

• Space - Random photo
• ←/→ - Navigate history
• F - Full screen
• Esc - Exit/close

Week 2: File Operations

• ⌘C / Ctrl+C - Copy image
• ⌘S / Ctrl+S - Save to Desktop
• ⌘⇧R / Ctrl+Shift+R - Reveal in Finder/Explorer

Week 3: Tagging (Pro)

• 1-9 - Quick tag with numbered tags
• ⌘T / Ctrl+T - Tag menu
• ⌘F / Ctrl+F - Filter by tag

Week 4: Advanced

• ⌘[ / Alt+← - Back through history
• ⌘] / Alt+→ - Forward through history
• S - Start slideshow

Efficient Patterns

Quick Browse Pattern:

Space → Space → Space → ← → 1 → Space
(Random 3x, back one, tag, continue)

Curation Pattern:

Space → examine → 1 (tag) → Space → repeat
(Random, evaluate, tag if keeper, next)

Review Pattern:

⌘F → select tag → Space → ← / → review → Esc
(Filter, random from filtered, navigate, clear)

Muscle Memory Training

Practice drill:

1. Launch Rando
2. Use only keyboard for 10 minutes straight
3. No mouse/trackpad allowed
4. Note which shortcuts you forget
5. Repeat daily for one week

Result: 2-3x speed increase after one week of practice.

Context-Switching Reduction

Avoid these workflow breaks:

• ❌ Mouse to keyboard back to mouse
• ❌ Reaching for trackpad between shortcuts
• ❌ Looking at keyboard for keys

Instead:

• ✅ Keep hands on home row
• ✅ Learn shortcuts blind
• ✅ Chain shortcuts together

Tag Organization Strategies

Building an effective tagging system.

Tag Hierarchy Design

Conceptual organization using naming conventions:

Category - Subcategory format:

Project - ClientA
Project - ClientB
Project - Personal

Year - 2023
Year - 2024
Year - 2025

Quality - Portfolio
Quality - ToEdit
Quality - Archive

Theme - Portraits
Theme - Landscapes
Theme - Architecture

Why this works:

• Alphabetically grouped by category
• Easy to scan in long tag lists
• Clear semantic meaning
• Scalable to hundreds of tags

Color Coding Strategy

Consistent color meanings across your library:

Benefits:

• Instant visual recognition
• Consistent across all projects
• Intuitive for collaborators
• Works in both light and dark modes

Pin Strategy

Which tags to pin:

1. Most Frequently Used: Tags you access daily
2. Current Projects: Active work tags
3. Core Categories: Fundamental organizational tags
4. Quick Access: Tags you assign during browsing

How many to pin:

• Optimal: 3-5 tags
• Maximum: 10 tags
• Too many pins defeat the purpose

Tag Naming Best Practices

Good tag names:

• ✅ "Portfolio 2024"
• ✅ "Client - Acme Corp"
• ✅ "Best Landscapes"
• ✅ "Needs Color Correction"

Poor tag names:

• ❌ "pics" (too vague)
• ❌ "asdf" (meaningless)
• ❌ "Portfolio 2024 Q3 Best Shots Selected for Print and Web High Priority" (too long)
• ❌ "Stuff" (not descriptive)

Maintenance Routine

Weekly:

• Review recently added tags
• Remove duplicate or similar tags
• Adjust pin priorities

Monthly:

• Export tags (backup)
• Clean up unused tags
• Consolidate similar tags
• Update color schemes if needed

Quarterly:

• Archive completed project tags
• Plan new organizational categories
• Review and optimize tag structure

Multi-Folder Management

Managing photo sources across multiple locations.

Folder Selection Strategy

Tiered by access frequency:

Tier 1: Hot Storage (Daily Access)

• Current work in progress
• Recent photos (last 6 months)
• Active projects
• Location: Internal SSD

Tier 2: Warm Storage (Weekly Access)

• Completed recent projects
• Last 1-2 years of photos
• Reference materials
• Location: External SSD or fast HDD

Tier 3: Cold Storage (Monthly Access)

• Archive photos (2+ years old)
• Completed old projects
• Backup copies
• Location: External HDD or NAS

Efficient Multi-Folder Workflow

Step-by-step:

1. Start with Tier 1 (fast local folder)
2. Browse and tag interesting photos
3. Add Tier 2 when ready (external drive)
4. Continue browsing across both
5. Occasionally add Tier 3 for nostalgia

Why this order:

• Fastest scans first
• Most relevant content first
• Progressive depth
• Network/slow drives last

Folder Combination Patterns

Project-Based Pattern:

Add: ProjectA folder
Add: ProjectB folder
Add: Reference folder
Result: All project photos in one pool
Use: Portfolio review, client presentation

Temporal Pattern:

Add: Photos/2023 folder
Add: Photos/2024 folder
Add: Photos/2025 folder
Result: Multi-year timeline
Use: Year in review, anniversary slideshows

Mixed Source Pattern:

Add: Mac Pictures folder
Add: External Drive Archive
Add: NAS Family Photos
Result: Complete photo collection
Use: Comprehensive random selection

Performance Optimization

For multiple folders:

1. Add fastest sources first - Local SSD before network drives
2. Adjust scan settings - Use "Responsive" for slow drives
3. Monitor progress - Watch real-time scan counts
4. Cancel if needed - Stop scanning when you have enough
5. Recent folders - Quick re-access to combinations

Slideshow Workflow

Creating effective presentations and reviews.

Preparation Workflow

Before starting slideshow:

1. Curate selection:

   • Random or filter by tag
   • Review thumbnail grid
   • Remove unwanted images

2. Adjust settings:

   • Set duration (3-5 seconds for presentation, 8-10 for ambient)
   • Choose scaling (Fit for all images visible, Fill for immersive)
   • Enable/disable image info overlay

3. Test timing:

   • Start slideshow
   • Advance through a few images
   • Adjust duration if needed

Slideshow Types

Presentation Slideshow (Active Viewing)

• Duration: 5-8 seconds per image
• Controls: Manual navigation primary
• Auto-advance: Off or very slow
• Use case: Client reviews, portfolio presentations

Ambient Slideshow (Background Display)

• Duration: 15-30 seconds per image
• Controls: Hidden after 3 seconds
• Auto-advance: On
• Use case: Digital photo frame, event displays

Review Slideshow (Curation)

• Duration: 3-5 seconds per image
• Controls: Keyboard navigation ready
• Auto-advance: On
• Use case: Quick review, tagging during slideshow

Keyboard Efficiency During Slideshow

Essential shortcuts:

• Space - Play/pause
• ←/→ - Navigate (pauses auto-advance)
• +/- - Adjust duration on the fly
• / or ? - Help overlay
• Esc - Exit slideshow

Pro tip: Right-click during slideshow to tag without exiting

Dynamic Timing Adjustment

Start with baseline:

1. Set duration to middle value (5 seconds)
2. Start slideshow
3. Watch first 5-10 images

Adjust based on content:

• Portraits: Slower (7-10 seconds) - More detail to examine
• Landscapes: Medium (5-7 seconds) - Balance overview and detail
• Abstract: Faster (3-5 seconds) - Quick visual impact
• Mixed: Start at 5, adjust as needed

Live adjustment: Press + or - during slideshow to adapt in real-time

Multi-Display Workflow

Presenting on external display:

macOS:

1. Move Rando to external display
2. Start slideshow
3. Press F or ⌘F for fullscreen on that display
4. Control from laptop using keyboard

Windows:

1. Drag Rando window to external monitor
2. Maximize window
3. Start slideshow
4. Press F11 for fullscreen on that monitor

Benefit: Control on one screen, audience sees only slideshow

Combined Workflows

Real-world workflow examples integrating all features.

Professional Photographer Workflow

Weekly curation session:

1. Setup:

   • Add week's shoots folder
   • Create "Week of [Date]" tag

2. First pass - Randomize:

   • Space repeatedly to see variety
   • Tag obvious keepers with 1
   • Tag maybes with 2
   • Continue until seen enough

3. Review pass - Filtered:

   • ⌘F / Ctrl+F - Filter to tag 1 (keepers)
   • S - Start slideshow
   • Remove weak images
   • Add to "Portfolio" tag

4. Client selection:

   • Filter to "Client Name" tag
   • Export for delivery
   • Archive to external drive

Time investment: 30-45 minutes Result: Curated, tagged, backed up

Digital Packrat Workflow

Monthly rediscovery session:

1. Setup:

   • Add multiple archive folders
   • Include external drives and NAS

2. Random exploration:

   • Space to discover forgotten photos
   • Tag nostalgia with "Memories"
   • Tag potential prints with "Print Candidates"

3. Slideshow nostalgia:

   • Filter "Memories" tag
   • Start ambient slideshow
   • Duration: 20 seconds
   • Run in background while working

4. Quarterly action:

   • Filter "Print Candidates"
   • Export to Desktop
   • Order prints
   • Clear tag

Time investment: 1-2 hours/month Result: Reconnected with collection

Content Creator Workflow

Daily inspiration routine:

1. Morning warmup:

   • Open reference images folder
   • Random 5-10 images
   • Tag interesting compositions with "Inspiration"

2. Project research:

   • Add current project folders
   • Add reference library
   • Random selection across all
   • Tag relevant references

3. End-of-day review:

   • Add today's work folder
   • Randomize to see variety
   • Tag strongest work with "Portfolio"
   • Tag experimental work with "Research"

4. Client presentations:

   • Filter by client tag
   • Start presentation slideshow
   • Manual navigation
   • Tag client selections

Time investment: 15-30 minutes/day Result: Organized, inspired, prepared

Optimization Metrics

Track your improvement:

Next Steps

• Review Keyboard Shortcuts for complete reference
• Set up Tagging System efficiently
• Explore Multi-Folder Mixing strategies
• Optimize with Performance Tips