Asset Hub
A digital asset manager that runs on free tiers
Creative assets were scattered across Google Drive with no shared system for finding or managing them. Instead of replacing the existing storage, I designed and built a layer on top of it that indexes and organizes the files while keeping them where they already are.
The key decision was to separate asset management from asset storage. AI-assisted metadata makes new assets easier to organize, while search, filters and collections make the library easier to navigate and maintain.
The result is a focused DAM without the cost and complexity of moving files into another system. It keeps the existing infrastructure intact while adding the structure, search and sharing capabilities the team was missing.
Search should follow the content
I didn’t want to maintain a giant list of filters by hand. The library creates its own facets from the metadata, so the structure can grow with the content.
Keep the files where they are
There was no reason to move hundreds of files into another storage system. Asset Hub keeps the files in Drive and adds the missing layer around them.
Built for the 90%, not the 10%
Commercial DAM platforms start in the hundreds of dollars a month and lock the library inside someone else's product. Asset Hub runs on free tiers, keeps files in your own Drive, and costs roughly $0/month for a small team.
Think in collections, not individual files
People rarely need one asset. They need everything for a campaign, a brand or a project, so collections became a way to package work instead of handing over files one by one.
Don’t make selection a dead end
The basket lets you collect things while you browse. You can decide what to do with them once you’ve found what you need.
Sharing should match the situation
Sometimes you need a quick link. Sometimes you need to know exactly who can see what. Both should be simple without creating another permission system to manage.
External access without the hassle
A partner shouldn’t need a Google account just to download an asset. A one-time link gives them access to exactly what was shared.
Permissions belong to the asset
Access shouldn’t be an afterthought. Different people need different levels of control, so permissions are part of the system rather than something handled outside it.
Don’t make someone tag everything by hand
The boring part of managing a library is putting structure around new files. AI does the first pass, while the team stays in control of the final taxonomy.
Tag governance
More tags don’t automatically make a library easier to search. Grouping and usage counts make it easier to see what’s actually useful and keep the system from turning into a tag dump.