Why Most Category Systems Fail
Most people start with too many categories. They create Design, Design Tools, Design Inspiration, UI Design, Web Design and Design Articles — then spend longer deciding where to file each link than it would take to just search for it later.
The other failure mode is too few: one giant Work folder that holds 400 bookmarks and is essentially useless.
The sweet spot is a system broad enough to group things naturally, specific enough to feel different from other categories.
The Right Number of Categories
Research into information architecture suggests 7 plus or minus 2 is the cognitive limit for navigation items. For bookmarks, aim for 5 to 8 categories maximum.
A developer's example: Docs & References, Tools & Services, Learning, Projects, Finance & Admin, Inspiration. Six categories that cover virtually everything without overlap.
3 Naming Rules That Actually Work
- Use nouns, not adjectives. Finance beats Financial Stuff. Tools beats Useful Tools.
- Name for retrieval, not filing. Ask yourself: when you need this link, what word will you think of first? That's the category name.
- Avoid date-based names. Categories like 2024 Projects are already obsolete by the time you need them.
Use Colour Coding Strategically
In MyLinks.pk, each category can have its own colour. Use this to create a visual map — not random colours, but a deliberate system. For example: orange for work, blue for learning, green for personal. Within a second of scanning your bookmarks list, you'll know what kind of link each one is.
Review Your Categories Quarterly
Your life and work change. Your categories should too. Every three months, spend ten minutes asking: are there categories with fewer than five bookmarks? Merge them. Are there categories with more than fifty? Consider splitting them into two.