ISVD Partners with Character Brand and High School Student Organization to Support the "Chikaki Project"

The Institute for Social Vision and Design (ISVD) collaborated with the creative character brand "PeeChickPaa (FRIENDS)" and the high school sex education group "Sekuteru" (セクテル) to provide design support for "Chikaki" (チカキー), a student-led anti-groping project. This initiative, in which young people took the lead in addressing sexual violence prevention, has been recognized for its social significance by numerous stakeholders, including government officials.

The project began with a remark by a male high school student member: "What can we do to reduce groping?" Recognizing the prevailing tendency for anti-groping awareness to focus primarily on women, the team conceived the anti-groping keychain "Chikaki" as a countermeasure in which people of all genders could participate.

Sekuteru, the project's originator, is a group of three male high school students with international backgrounds working to improve sex education. They planned and promoted the project in collaboration with the creative brand PeeChickPaa.

Through crowdfunding on CAMPFIRE, the project attracted 205 backers and raised approximately 1.42 million yen (142% of the target goal), with fundraising concluding at the end of September 2024. The purpose of the project is to distribute Chikaki keychains free of charge to high school students, thereby raising awareness about the problem of groping (chikan).

ISVD played an important role in the project as a design partner. Participating as an advisor from the project's inception, ISVD provided support in setting the design direction and selecting motifs. The student members themselves felt that "it would be difficult to create something that balances both a strong message and good design with our own drawing skills," and with ISVD's support, the collaboration with PeeChickPaa, known for its unique character designs, was realized.

ISVD served as a bridge to the designers, coordinated design review sessions, and ensured that the message and vision embodied in the keychains remained consistent.

For example, ISVD provided expert guidance on how to depict hand motifs associated with groping and what words to accompany them, helping to visually express the project's vision of "a preventive measure in which all genders can contribute."

Additionally, to create an environment where the students could freely share and develop ideas, ISVD supported brainstorming through workshops and meetings, encouraging the students' initiative while advancing the project. Through this hands-on support from ISVD, a design product that fully reflected the students' enthusiasm and creativity was completed.

Sex education professionals have expressed admiration for the students' initiative, stating: "I am deeply impressed that male high school students are working to improve society through sex education."

Traditionally, anti-groping measures have tended to place the burden of self-defense on women. This project demonstrated that everyone, including men, can play a role in "preventing perpetration."

In the crowdfunding completion report, the student team expressed their gratitude: "Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement. Your contributions will enable us to deliver our message to even more high school students." The 205 backers reflect strong public interest in the project's mission.

Following the close of the crowdfunding campaign, the project team is preparing for the production and distribution of Chikaki keychains, as well as planning events and workshops to raise awareness about the problem of groping. Expansion of keychain distribution through partnerships with schools and local governments is among the anticipated next steps.

ISVD will continue to support initiatives by young people that leverage the power of design to address social challenges.

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