ZIP Files Make Us Look Amateur. There, I Said It.
Sending a ZIP file is the fastest way to say 'I don't care about your user experience.' It is time to kill the archive.
The Unboxing Failure
Imagine you buy a new iPhone. You open the box. But inside, there is no phone. Just a pile of parts and a note: “Assemble it yourself.”
That is what you do when you send a ZIP file.
You are telling the client: “Here is all the stuff. Good luck finding what matters.”
It is Friday. The client is on the train home. They check their email on their phone. They see the ZIP. Can they open it? Maybe. If they have the right app. If they have space.
Most likely, they try to open it, it fails, they get frustrated, and they close the email. You just lost the weekend review cycle. Basta.
The Friction: Where Context Disappears
A ZIP file flattens hierarchy. It destroys the narrative.
When I create a folder structure, I am telling a story.
- “Read this first.”
- “Data is here.”
- “Appendix is here.”
When you ZIP it, you are hiding that story behind a wall. The client has to extract it to see the logic.
And let us talk about the “Corrupted Archive” error. Is there anything more unprofessional than a file that refuses to open? It makes us look like we don’t control our own technology.
The Accelerator: The Visual Index
We do not send archives. We send Access.
We treat the folder structure like a product.
- The Cover Page: A ReadMe file at the top. “Start Here.”
- The Preview: The client can click a file and see it in the browser. No download required.
- The Hierarchy: Visual folders. Clear naming conventions.
When the client clicks the link, they see the structure immediately. They see the organization. They feel the logic of your work before they even read a single word of the report.
This is Visual Thinking.
If the work is good, the delivery must be better. Do not hide your brilliance inside a compressed archive. Unpack it. Display it.
Make it easy for them to say “Yes.”
FAQs
What is wrong with ZIP files? They are efficient.
They are efficient for the computer. They are terrible for the human. We design for humans.
But the client asked for all the files.
They asked for the files. They did not ask for a puzzle. Give them the files in a structured way they can browse without downloading.
Does this really affect the sign-off?
Assolutamente. Friction kills momentum. A ZIP file is pure friction.