I was inspired by Johnny Decimal and developed my own system for organizing my personal/family files. I don't have the same "search for it" requirement, or need to talk to other people about the organization of the files and don't use any of the numbering system they have, which may sound like it's not inspired by Johnny Decimal, but it sure is!
At the root I have a small number of ALLCAPS folders. Those each have a small number of ALLCAPS folders themselves, and nothing else. In a few cases the hierarchy goes a little deeper than that, but not much deeper.
An ALLCAPS folder can either be part of this ALLCAPS hierarchy and contain other ALLCAPS folders and nothing else, or it can be an ALLCAPS leaf: contain normal folders and nothing else.
The final rule is that nothing is allowed to depend on any relative hierarchy until you get into one of the folders inside an ALLCAPS leaf.
What this means is I can reorganize any time I want by moving or renaming any ALLCAPS folders at any time, or any of the folders inside an ALLCAPS leaf. I find this distinction relieving. I don't have to get the perfect organization forever, I just have to organize it in a way that works for me right now, and I can reorganize any part of it at any time without worrying about it.
At the root I have a small number of ALLCAPS folders. Those each have a small number of ALLCAPS folders themselves, and nothing else. In a few cases the hierarchy goes a little deeper than that, but not much deeper.
An ALLCAPS folder can either be part of this ALLCAPS hierarchy and contain other ALLCAPS folders and nothing else, or it can be an ALLCAPS leaf: contain normal folders and nothing else.
The final rule is that nothing is allowed to depend on any relative hierarchy until you get into one of the folders inside an ALLCAPS leaf.
What this means is I can reorganize any time I want by moving or renaming any ALLCAPS folders at any time, or any of the folders inside an ALLCAPS leaf. I find this distinction relieving. I don't have to get the perfect organization forever, I just have to organize it in a way that works for me right now, and I can reorganize any part of it at any time without worrying about it.