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...from classical music to design...

As a classical singer and music educator turned designer, I bring a unique perspective to creative work - shaped by years of storytelling, structure, and connecting with audiences.

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There’s actually a lot in common between music and design:
🎵 A focus on creating user-first, meaningful experiences
🎼 A sensitivity to form, rhythm, and how things flow
🎻 A constant process of refining and shaping until it just feels right

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I work across UX/UI and product design, visual identity, web design, and content creation - always with a curious mind and a user-centred approach. My creative background helps me design with empathy, intention, and an eye for detail, whether it’s building a digital product, a brand identity, or content that truly resonates.

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👉 Curious about my other creative work? Visit kaylacollingwood.com.

Relevant to Design:

  • 2025 - Accepted by Wild Code School and Open Classrooms for a "formation en alternance" in UX/UI Design

  • 2024 - UX Design Professional Certificate - Google/Coursera; Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator (54 hours online, 5 hours contact time with educator) - Formademia

  • 2020 - Certificate in Creating A Business Start-Up - Learning Curve Group

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Short Design-related courses (Actively filling knowledge gaps 💪):

  • 2025 - UXToast: Getting Started with Figma; Bring Your Own Laptop: Figma UX Design UI Essentials; Webflow: Figma to Webflow

  • 2024 - Designlab: Figma 101; UX Writing Hub: A Taste of UX Writing; Google/Coursera: AI Essentials; OpenClassrooms: Build Your First Web Pages With HTML and CSS.

🎓Education

Might be interesting:

  • 2017 - Master of Music in Classical Voice - The University of Auckland (New Zealand)

  • 2015 - Bachelor of Music in Classical Performance (Voice), Postgraduate Certificate in Theatre Studies - The University of Waikato (New Zealand)

Relevant to Design:

  • 2025 - Be my first employer💖!

💼Work Experience

Might be interesting:

  • 2020-2025 - Freelance classical singer, music educator (1:1, workshops, group classes, retreats), creator (Paris, France)

  • 2017-2020 - Au pair, Nanny, Private PA (Paris, France; London, England; travel)

  • 2016-2017 - Member of the New Zealand Opera chorus​ (New Zealand)

  • 2012-2020 - Freelance classical singer and voice teacher (New Zealand, France, UK)

Tools and platforms:

  • Design Tools: Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign)

  • Site Building Platforms: Wix Studio, no-code platforms

  • Content Creation: CapCut, Canva

  • Document & File Management: Google Workspace, Dropbox

  • Project Organisation and Communication: Trello, Asana, Milanote, Discord, Slack

  • I'm a fast learner!

🛠️Skills

Languages:

  • English (Native)

  • French (B2/C1)

  • Some knowledge (can read and pronounce, understand, communicate a little) of Spanish, Greek, German, Italian...

  • A general love for languages!​

Hard skills:

  • Wireframing/Mockups

  • Prototyping 

  • Writing - UX, content 

  • User research - Surveys, testing, interviews, secondary research

  • User journey

  • Basics of HTML/CSS

  • No-code

  • Digital content creation (including images, videos, audio, ebooks and templates, blogs, memes)

  • Trying to keep up with AI (ChatGPT/etc., integrated AI tools, images...) and ethical use!

Soft skills:​

  • Creativity

  • Adaptability

  • Understanding of user and client needs (empathy)

  • Proactivity

  • Curiosity

  • Analytic abilities

  • Attention to detail and flexibility

  • Entrepreneurial spirit

  • Digital native

Scholarships (selected):

  • 2016 - Anne Bellam Scholarship (Postgraduate Music Studies)

  • 2015 - John Arthur Langdon Scholarship (Postgraduate Studies in Fine Arts)

  • 2015 - Freemasons University Scholarship (assisting able students who are actively involved in their community)

  • 2013 - University of Waikato Research Scholarship (3 month position as a research assistant to a professor)

Awards (selected):

  • Lifetime member (admitted in 2012) of the Golden Key Society (top 15% of university students internationally).

  • Blues Awards for Arts (2016 - University of Auckland), Performance (2012, 2014 - University of Waikato)

  • Prizewinner and finalist in multiple national singing competitions around New Zealand.

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⚡Hobbies and Interests

I'm fortunate to have built a career largely based on my interests (music/arts, culture/history, languages and writing, digital creation)!

 

Some other things I enjoy:

  • Travel - Alone (fast-paced) or with loved ones (for relaxation)

  • Visiting museums, art galleries, theatres, opera houses...

  • Games - The Sims 4 (PC) and random mobile games primarily.

  • Sitting in cafés - reading, writing, listening to music, people watching!

Fun facts:

  • I'm a published poet (three books - two available online)!

  • I have a beautiful Neva Masquerade cat named Luna.

  • I never read or watched Harry Potter.

  • I'm a fast reader and learned to read at age 3.

  • My singing voice type: contralto (lowest female voice).

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