2024 | Strategic Planning & Policy Department: Talia Tan

Over the summer break, I interned at the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), under the Strategic Planning and Policy Department (SPPD). It was a valuable opportunity for me to learn more about how Intellectual Property (IP) and Intangible Assets (IA) lie at the intersection of technology, law, and business. I appreciated how the work involved a truly interdisciplinary level of knowledge.

In my time with SPPD, I was tasked to create a dashboard based on Global Innovation Index data. Through my exploration of the Word Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Index, I gained a deeper understanding of the factors that drive and sustain innovation, as well as the importance of intellectual property in this continual lifecycle. As I was new to the concepts being introduced, the information was initially difficult to digest. My supervisor, Wee Pynn, readily shared relevant reading materials and learning resources with me, and encouraged me to clarify any doubts I had. His guidance ensured that I had many opportunities to gain more knowledge in both technical and conceptual areas during the internship.

Throughout the dashboarding process, I was provided with many opportunities to make iterative improvements. I gained a deeper understanding of essential considerations when choosing a certain style of presentation, or when making optimisations to improve user experience. Dashboarding at IPOS also enhanced my appreciation for data visualisation and information graphics. One of my visualisation-related takeaways is that a good chart should always be able to strike a balance between functionality and aesthetic.

Being in SPPD enabled me to appreciate the data-driven nature of the scope of work in IPOS and the public service. Outside of work, I’m thankful that the department was always happy to share about their experiences, lives, and careers, which served as useful advice to keep in mind for the future.