Ask Me Anything:
Logan Galla

Profiles

Logan is not only our Design Lead, but he is also our resident voice of reason AND comedic relief.

The JB Team, July 8, 2019

The office asked Logan anything they wanted via Slack — these are his answers:

Logan Galla, Design Lead at Julia Balfour and President of CADC, speaking behind a podium to a crowd for an awards ceremony.

If you could host a dinner party with anyone dead or alive who would be at your table?

I thought about this for a long time and I could only come up with one person: Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin & Hobbes. I loved that strip growing up, and (almost more importantly) he gave an incredible commencement speech at the college he went to back in 1990. In 1995 he abruptly quit doing the strip and was never heard from again. I want to know why he did that and what it’s been like since then.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

The first thing I remember wanting to be when I grew up was an architect. I have no idea what made me want to do that. I’m still really interested in architecture and think it’s the most admirable creative profession in the world.

Do you believe your passion for design is more nature or nurture?

My interest in graphic design came from screwing around on the internet when I was in my early teens, which created in me the desire to make websites. And I like to be surrounded by beautiful stuff, and for everything to look a certain way. So, I guess you would say that part is nature. Everything else is nurture (school, work, reading books, seeing stuff online). I guess I just filter my instincts through everything I’ve learned.

What are you looking forward to most in the future?

Smarter homes. I’m anxiously waiting for more and better technology in this area, and for it to become easier for all of it to work together.

What’s something you are really into right now?

Right now I have a renewed interest in cooking because I’ve gotten really into using my sous vide. I’ve been experimenting with different ways to cook and finish steaks. Everybody’s sick of hearing about it but I think it’s a lot of fun.

If you could start a YouTube Channel about anything, what would you want to create? And who would be your first sponsor?

I’ve thought about this a lot, because I watch a lot of YouTube and I love it. If I was going to do anything, I’d want to make video essays. I have no idea about what, but probably whatever I felt like talking about. I think Nakey Jakey and Nerd City are the best at this.

How do you maintain your work life balance?

I try to treat both of them with equal respect. They are both important; my life will suffer if I don’t succeed at work, and my work will suffer if my life is a mess. I want to be able to focus on each half when I need to, and that’s why my nerves were frayed right before I got married. I had too much life stuff to think about when I wanted to think about work. Ideally (and this is most of the time), I give myself permission to work when I’m at work, and to be at home when I’m at home.

If you were to give any advice to a classroom of 8th grade art students, what type of advice would you give and why?

Stay curious. You have to teach yourself to become interested in anything, because you’ll eventually need to work on something boring.

Learn to love the process. You’re always going to have to make the work, whatever that means. It’s important to enjoy doing it, because the person you’re doing it for isn’t going to give you enough validation to make yourself feel fulfilled.

Find mentors. Find them online or in real life, work for one if you can. Try to be in a position to be taught.

Where do you think the design world is headed in terms of automation and AI? From a private shop to an enterprise empire’s perspective.

Until a machine can synthesize a unique person’s lifetime of experience and have a genuine breakthrough, nowhere.

If you were to design a project that had no foundation, what’s the process you lead someone through to help them figure out their base for a project?

You just have to ask the person how they would know whether or not the project was successful. And, to be honest, everyone knows the answer to that question when they’re asked.

Do you have a favorite life lesson? Or some words that you live by?

Always give people the benefit of the doubt.

Assume you know nothing and the person you’re talking to has something to teach you.

Only make fun of people you love.

What’s your favorite color?

Gray, and life would be way easier if there was only one shade of it.

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

I’d rather stay in a nice place in a country I love. Honestly, that’s been how most of my travel experiences have been, but I really enjoy getting to stay in one place for a while and learning a little about what it’s like to live there. I’ve never really been interested in spending a few hours in a place just to get the passport stamp.

How do you feel about doors that say Push and have a Pull handle?

I don’t want this to sound over-dramatic because I have no idea what the costs of manufacturing doors are, but this always struck me as borderline hostile. I pull these doors all the time, and I see other people do the same all the time, and it seems like the only thing needed to save us from this deep embarrassment is to not put a handle on the door.