Starting with a new iMac, best way to organise photos

Question

My old computer macbook pro, was overflowing with badly filed photos, projects and files. As I start with a clean slate, my new iMac my question is the best way to be keeping things, I use illustrator mostly for complex surface patterns.  I have photos galore in i-photo, some even have the same auto file number sequence as I use multiple sd cards.  For my photos, should I use bridge, i-cloud, is iPhoto old school now.  I am not going to just dump my old stuff over and want to do it properly, I promise not to be unorganised on my new iMac (promise).  Also, a brief explanation of when you would use Raw, over Lightroom, over Photoshop or visa versa, or is it just a personal choice.  The more I learn about software the more confused I get.
Thanks & much appreciated
Regards Vicky

Answer 1

I do understand the reference to the cloud not being about a specific app. I also understand that you, Vicky, are not quite sure which app to use with your fresh start. I am not sure it is horrible to ask here which app(s), workflow, or organizational system might be best to institute, given access to all the various apps available in CC.
I am not quite sure what you are doing, or what your previous workflow was, in part because of your mention of Adobe Illustrator for complex surface patterns. Were it not for that, between your title, and your reference to photos galore, I might suggest Lightroom. It is indeed in part a database, with an ability to handle, and organise, a very large number of photos. In addition to good developing and batch developing capabilities, as well as an ability to tag, as well as add to and manipulate metadata on both import and export, I find it useful. Were I to begin using Illustrator more, which I actually plan to do, I believe I'd either lean on bridge a bit more, very likely in conjunction with exported LR files, or see if it were in any way possible to set up AI as an external editor in LR, though at this point I've no idea if that is possible, or desired.
As to a specific workflow and system of organization, I feel that is quite subjective. For myself, I find myself creating a Library in LR for each Year, (though I could see a pro event photographer creating one for each event), and then importing my SD cards by copying as DNG, embedding the RAW, and setting up the file name to be the YearxxxxMonthxxDayxx_Hourxx24MinutexxSecondxx, with folders created for each month and day. That way, everything is ordered chronologically, even within the OS folders, and the filenames are consistent and unique. I also add metadata for the creator, etc. I then create Collections for each shoot I'm actually focussing on. From LR I can jump to PS or external third party addons, and return after I am done.
There are specific books and videos out there suggesting efficient ways of organizing and processing large numbers of images, and there is no, one right way. It largely depends on what you are comfortable with, and the way your mind works.
Best of luck to you; I know I'll need a bit, and a bit of self-discipline to buckle down and institute a consistent system myself.