“When I first learned about The Red Pencil (Singapore), I was deeply drawn to its mission of using creative arts therapy to empower individuals and support them through challenging times."
What drew you to intern at The Red Pencil (Singapore), and what was your role during your internship?
Coming from a background in social work and visual communications, I’ve always been passionate about designing for social impact. When I first learned about The Red Pencil (Singapore), I was deeply drawn to its mission of using creative arts therapy to empower individuals and support them through challenging times. I wanted to contribute by using design as a tool to raise public awareness of how art therapy can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
As a Marcomms Intern, I worked on developing marketing collaterals for both online and offline publicity, including Instagram posts, posters, and display boards. Beyond that, I contributed to strengthening The Red Pencil’s brand identity by designing social media templates to ensure consistent branding, updating brand guidelines, and proposing a refreshed colour palette that better reflects the organisation’s warm and personable brand personality.
How did your experience as a Marcomms intern influence your personal or professional development?
My experience as a Marcomms Intern taught me the importance of combining visual design with strategic thinking. For instance, one of my key responsibilities was to find effective ways to attract the public to sign up for our programmes. I realised that simply designing a poster with event details like the date and time wasn’t enough, it was equally crucial to consider how the message was communicated. This internship encouraged me to think more critically and creatively about engagement, from crafting compelling copy and clear calls to action to using storytelling to capture attention and inspire participation.
What skills or knowledge did you gain or improve upon during your internship, and how did you see them benefiting your future career?
I’ve learned to be more inquisitive and proactive in understanding the organisation’s working and communication style, which helped me adapt better to its culture. As an introvert, I tend to take a little more time to share my thoughts. However, during this internship, I was given the autonomy to propose initiatives that could enhance both their brand identity and programmes. This experience pushed me to articulate my design rationale clearly and explain the strategic thinking behind my ideas, so the Marcomms team could better understand my creative process. Moving forward, these skills will be invaluable as I transition into a full-time role, helping me communicate my ideas with greater confidence and collaborate more effectively within a team.
Can you share a memorable project or task you worked on during your time at The Red Pencil (Singapore)?
One memorable project I worked on involved developing a new marketing strategy for one of our programmes, Back to the Past. As the existing approach was not generating sufficient interest, I was tasked with rethinking how to attract more sign-ups. I began by analysing the current strategy to identify what wasn’t working and comparing it with another programme that had received stronger engagement. From this comparison, I was able to pinpoint key pain points and areas for improvement, which then guided me in brainstorming creative ideas to better capture the audience’s attention and communicate the value of the programme more effectively.
Through this project, I learned the importance of understanding the audience’s point of view before designing any campaign. It taught me how data, observation, and creativity can work hand in hand to develop solutions that are both visually engaging and strategic. I also gained confidence in applying design thinking to real-world challenges and presenting my ideas to the team.
What did you learn about art therapy and its impact on people in need?
Art therapy is like a portal into one’s inner world, a space where emotions take shape and unspoken thoughts find colour and form when words fail. Art therapy also allows individuals to understand and process their experiences, helping them move forward in their journey towards healing.
How has your experience as an intern shaped your future career goals or aspirations?
My internship at The Red Pencil (Singapore) has given me greater clarity about the kind of impact I hope to make in the community and society. As an aspiring creative designer for social impact, I want to use my visual and strategic design skills not only to raise awareness about meaningful causes, but also to inspire and empower individuals to take action on the issues they care about.
