NEW DRAGON BOAT UNIFORM: A CONVERSATION WITH DESIGNER ANNA KOAN | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

All eyes were on DieselFish at the CDBA Regional Regatta. The team won a gold medal AND debuted its stunning new uniform designed by our own Anna Koan.

At the 2023 CDBA Regional Regatta, DieselFish paddled to the top of the medal podium in style. At that race, the San Francisco Bay Area dragon boat team unveiled a new uniform that celebrates the 25th anniversary of the team’s founding. The new uniform was designed by Anna Koan. Anna is not only the team’s stroke—she is also a talented artist and designer. Read on to learn more about Anna’s design process and the creative choices she incorporated into the 25th Anniversary Uniform.

 
You studied illustration and animation at Laguna College of Art & Design. How did you get started in designing activewear?
A few years back Coach Marynka approached me about designing a new jersey for DieselFish to celebrate the team’s 20th anniversary. At the time our uniform was navy blue with bright green sleeves; the design had been unchanged for many years, and other local teams were updating their jerseys with very similar colors around that time. We used the opportunity to update our standard uniform and overall brand design as well. I hadn’t designed actual clothing before, so I was a bit nervous! But my educational background in illustration and animation and professional working experience as a game artist helped a lot and I was able to apply many of those skills.
 
Have you designed activewear for any other organizations besides DieselFish?
In terms of real-life clothing, I’ve designed jerseys and hoodies for Burnwater. But during the time I spent previously working as a game artist at Pocket Worlds. I also spent many years designing a wide range of digital avatar clothing and accessories for a mobile game called Highrise. I designed everything from casual basics, activewear, and street fashion to fantasy gowns, magical auras, and dragon wings!
 
What was the design brief you were given for DieselFish’s 25th Anniversary Uniform? What did the team ask you to do?
I was pretty much given free reign and was encouraged to try something totally different from our normal uniform, the only criteria being that the design should make a reference to the team’s 25th anniversary.
 
How did you express DieselFish’s needs through your design?
Even though the design brief asked for something different, I felt it was important that the 25th Anniversary design still work well alongside our normal uniforms, so the team could wear either jersey to races and look cohesive. With that in mind, I took the existing elements of the design but remixed and reimagined them to make something new.
 
Our normal uniforms feature teal sleeves with a subtle swirl pattern, the DieselFish logo on the chest and back, and a custom fish illustration I created for the 20th anniversary jersey. In the 25th Anniversary design, I wanted to keep the teal sleeves because they help people spot us from the shore while we’re racing, but updated them to a bright teal-to-navy gradient with flowing lines (instead of swirls) to invoke the feeling of deep moving water. I also created a bolder, more dynamic version of the DieselFish logo and made it much more prominent on the jersey by positioning it vertically down the length of the torso instead of just on the chest. The fish illustration has become a unique and distinctive part of our visual identity, so I wanted to make sure it was still featured on the new design. On the suggestion of some of our teammates, I placed it on the back of the jersey instead of the front so it wouldn’t compete with the larger logo.
 
What’s your favorite part of the design?
My favorite parts are the flowing lines on the sleeves and the new DieselFish logo because they both feature something personal to me. I’ve always loved drawing long flowing lines like water and hair, and I like to incorporate them into my personal illustration work where I can.
 
When I was coming up with ideas for the new DieselFish logo, I imagined something that looked handwritten and graffiti-inspired. I had tried a lot of different fonts but nothing looked quite like what I wanted, so eventually I ended up just handwriting the logo myself.
 
Have you had a chance to try on a DieselFish 25th Anniversary Uniform yet? What was that moment like?
Yes, I’ve worn the 25th anniversary uniform to a few practices and to the recent Regatta. The first time I tried on the uniform was a mix of feelings; as an artist it’s easy to get too focused on what could be improved. But it’s also really satisfying to see my design come to life as a physical object and to see other people wearing and enjoying my design.
 
Where can we see more of your work?
You can see more of my work on Instagram @ankosquared and annakoan.com
 
Thanks, Anna! The 25th Anniversary Uniform makes us look and feel great!
 
→ Contact Alex now at DFcaptains@gmail.com to start FREE dragon lessons with DieselFish. We paddle on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings in Redwood City.
 
Models (left to right): Chris, Anna, Poky
 
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