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Work Ethic

Work ethic is about the way you approach your work: being reliable, responsible, and professional in your projects. As a Creative Technologist, this goes beyond effort – it includes meeting deadlines, collaborating across disciplines, and taking ownership of your contribution. For example, when developing an interactive installation, strong work ethic means documenting your code so teammates can reuse it, preparing your prototype before a demo, and being honest when something does not work.

Why is this relevant to you? Because creative technology projects are complex: they mix design, programming, and hardware, often with tight deadlines and multiple stakeholders. A strong work ethic ensures that ideas do not stay concepts, but become reliable and meaningful results.

Starting Points

  • Plan your sprint tasks realistically and update progress on your backlog.
    Example: commit your Arduino code regularly on GitHub so the team sees updates.
  • Communicate clearly with teammates about blockers or delays.
    Example: mention during stand-up if a sensor is failing so others can help.
  • Treat prototypes as professional output, even in early stages.
    Example: label wiring diagrams or create simple setup instructions so others can test your work.

Key Points

  • You deliver on time and take responsibility for your tasks.
    Example: finishing your Unity prototype before the client review session.
  • You stay consistent and resilient when projects get difficult.
    Example: troubleshooting errors late at night and documenting fixes for the team.
  • You show professionalism by documenting your work clearly.
    Example: adding comments in code or writing short reflection notes after a user test.
  • You contribute actively to the team and support others when needed.
    Example: helping a teammate debug their Processing sketch while waiting for your own 3D print to finish.

Mini-Checklist for Work Ethic

Ask yourself these questions during your project:

  1. Am I documenting my process honestly, including mistakes and unexpected outcomes?
  2. Do I stay curious and critical, questioning not only whether something works, but also why it works (or not)?
  3. Am I open to unexpected results, and do I explore them instead of ignoring them?
  4. Do I communicate transparently with my team about progress, blockers, and decisions?
  5. Am I balancing responsibility for my own tasks with support for the overall project goals?