Overview
AKONA’s scuba glove line had not been redesigned since 2003. The collection featured outdated emblems, inconsistent aesthetics, and limited differentiation across models.
I led a full redesign of the glove series — modernizing the visual language, improving functionality, and introducing subtle innovation while maintaining key safety and material requirements.
The Opportunity
The goal was to:
- Refresh the visual identity of the glove line
- Improve functional details and comfort
- Create clearer differentiation between thicknesses and use cases
- Maintain durability and safety standards (including Kevlar for lobster diving)
- Stay within target budget constraints
- Refresh the visual identity of the glove line
- Improve functional details and comfort
- Create clearer differentiation between thicknesses and use cases
- Maintain durability and safety standards (including Kevlar for lobster diving)
- Stay within target budget constraints
The redesign needed to balance performance with modern recreational appeal.
My Role
Product Designer
My Role
Product Designer
Responsible for:
- Competitive research (diving + recreational gloves)
- Material analysis and refinement
- Cut and sew line redesign
- Palm grip development
- Colour system development across the series
- Manufacturer coordination and sample review
- Competitive research (diving + recreational gloves)
- Material analysis and refinement
- Cut and sew line redesign
- Palm grip development
- Colour system development across the series
- Manufacturer coordination and sample review
Design Strategy
The redesign focused on creating a cohesive family of gloves that felt:
- Sleek and modern
- Sport-forward yet minimal
- Utilitarian with subtle fashion influence
- Accent colours (e.g., grey + blue) were introduced to quickly differentiate glove styles and thicknesses.
- Sleek and modern
- Sport-forward yet minimal
- Utilitarian with subtle fashion influence
- Accent colours (e.g., grey + blue) were introduced to quickly differentiate glove styles and thicknesses.
Material decisions prioritized:
- Neoprene flexibility
- Kevlar reinforcement where required
- Blind-stitching for comfort
- Pre-bent fingers to reduce stiffness
-PU dot palm pattern for grip without sacrificing flexibility
- Neoprene flexibility
- Kevlar reinforcement where required
- Blind-stitching for comfort
- Pre-bent fingers to reduce stiffness
-PU dot palm pattern for grip without sacrificing flexibility
Each decision balanced durability, buoyancy performance, and wearability.
Innovation Highlight
During research, I identified an emerging shift toward touch-sensitive dive watches — yet no dive gloves featured touch-compatible fingertips.
After confirming feasibility with the manufacturer, I implemented a touch-screen compatible index finger patch on the 3mm gloves within the series.
This feature later became adopted by competitor brands in subsequent seasons.
Testing & Launch
Testing & Launch
Samples were field-tested by AKONA scuba representatives before full production approval.
Two models in the series — The Bahama and The Antigua — were featured in the March 2022 edition of SCUBA Diving Magazine.
The redesigned gloves became a staple within the product line and modernized AKONA’s presence in the dive accessory category.
Reflection
Modernizing legacy products requires restraint — maintaining what works while introducing thoughtful innovation.
The Scuba Glove Series reinforced my approach to product design: identify functional gaps, refine the system visually, and implement meaningful improvements that enhance user experience without increasing complexity.
Both gloves were featured in the March 2022 edition of SCUBA Diving Magazine.