Kyla Bills    Contact, LinkedIn

While digital spaces often function to alienate and divide, I have a optimistic belief in the power of the Internet to connect people to others, themselves, community, and their physical environments. 

Using elements of my background in journalism and sociology, my education in library and information sciences, and my work experience in content design and strategy, I strive to execute a design practice that is inclusive, accessible, understandable, and liberatory for both designers and users.

Content strategy is one of many means to build a better world.


Education

CUNY Queen’s College | Master’s in Library and Information Science
    September 2026 - Present, New York, NY

BrainStation | Certificate in Product Management
    March 2023 - May 2023, New York, NY

BrainStation | Diploma in User Experience Design
    November 2022 - February 2023, New York, NY

New York University | Journalism and Sociology
    August 2014 - January 2017, New York, NY
    - Double Major, Concentration in Media Criticism


Employment

Northwestern Mutual | New York, NY
    Content Strategist III, April 2025 - Present
    Content Strategist II, September 2023 - April 2025

Alzheimer’s Association | New York, NY
    Content Strategist, May 2023 - September 2023

New Stand | New York, NY
    Managing Editor, October 2021 - November 2022
    Editorial Lead, May 2019 - October 2021
    Editorial Associate, May 2018 - May 2019

Mind Over Matter | New York, NY
    Assistant, September 2017 - May 2018


Skills

Content Strategy & UX Design: Content strategy, content design, content modeling, content mapping, audits, gap analysis, taxonomy, information architecture, content systems, lexicon alignment, cross-channel/omnichannel content, enterprise content, user-centered design, design thinking, wireframing, prototyping, UI design, AI content strategy, AI implementation strategy

Research & Testing: Personas, journey mapping, user interviews, usability testing, A/B testing, data-driven insights

Writing & SEO: UX writing, copywriting, editing, voice and tone, brand/style guidelines, SEO/SEM, keyword strategy

Tools: Jira, Confluence, Figma, Figjam, Figma Make, ChatGPT, Miro, Mural, CMS (AEM, WordPress, Squarespace), Jira, Mixpanel, Mailchimp, Google Workspace, Heap,

Data & Tech: AI/ML, LLM, SLM, data visualization, CSS, HTML, Javascript, XML

Business & Collaboration: B2B, B2B2C, SaaS, stakeholder collaboration, requirements gathering, presentations, documentation



Summary

As a content strategist and designer with over eight years of experience across mobile apps and websites, I partner with stakeholders to create visually engaging, effective user experiences. As a student of library and information science, I bring expertise in taxonomy, information architecture, content mapping, modular content systems, and lexicon alignment. I apply a user-centered approach to every project, crafting intuitive, accessible, and engaging designs. I deliver high-quality screens, pages, flows, and components that exceed expectations and drive measurable results. A strong collaborator, I help organizations elevate their content and improve cross-functional alignment.






Tax Experience Redesign  Content Design

Redesigned Northwestern Mutual’s tax experience to proactively answer client questions and centralize key information, resulting in a 66.7% reduction in tax season related support calls.

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Underwriting Standard Reformatting   Content Migration

Modernized underwriting standards by creating a unified, searchable, and GenAI‑ready content structure to reduce search time, improve underwriter workflows, and ensure consistency across medical, lay, and financial standards.

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Sitemap Creation and Template  Content Design, Documenation

Created a scalable site‑map framework and reusable template that standardized content structure and navigation, enabling content strategists, designers, product managers, and engineers to align, plan, and scale complex experiences more efficiently.

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Excluded / Included Account Recovery  Discovery

Led an enterprise‑level review of account value inclusion and exclusion across digital channels, designed to surface inconsistencies and establish a unified, scalable framework for calculations and controls in settings and graphs.

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Antifraud Modular Content  Content System Design

Redesigned Northwestern Mutual’s account recovery experience to help returning users securely regain access through a streamlined, multi‑path identity verification and MFA setup flow.

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Search Redesign and AI Enablement   Taxonomy, Gap Analysis

Reimagined search across web and mobile as a proactive, action‑driven experience—reducing friction, accelerating task completion, and laying the foundation for AI‑powered, intent‑aware discovery.

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