How Designability is creating inclusive products that remove barriers for disabled people

In this episode of Leaders With Purpose, Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai sit down with Jim Bowes, CEO of Designability Jim shares his journey from building a digital agency to leading a charity that designs inclusive products for disabled people. The conversation explores purpose-led leadership, moving into the charity sector, building trust as a new CEO and focusing limited resources where they can have the biggest impact. Jim also talks about the importance of inclusive design, why good design should work for more people and how Designability is helping remove barriers from everyday life through products, research and collaboration. Introduction to Jim Bowes and Designability 00:00 Jim’s journey from Manifesto founder to charity CEO 01:18 Finding purpose after leaving an agency 05:37Moving from agency life into charity leadership 08:09 Building credibility in an established organisation 09:51 Strategic discovery and focusing resources for impact 11:30 Balancing ambition, capacity and priorities 13:51 The complexity of leading in the charity sector 15:24 Building relationships through organisational change 16:32 Values, behaviours and culture 19:18 Co-design, collaboration and working in the open 22:31 Theory of change and systemic impact 24:07 Designability’s role in direct impact and wider influence 24:41 Partnerships and accessible transport 26:33 Building CEO networks and spotting opportunities 28:17 Inclusive design and real-world needs 30:01 Accessible vehicle design and cognitive overload 31:05 Why inclusive design is good design 33:27 Fundraising, storytelling and demonstrating impact 35:10 The CEO and trustee relationship 37:58 Governance, value-add and trustee roles 42:50 Future charity leaders and the skills boards should look for 45:04 Managing energy as a leader 48:07 What’s next for Jim Bowes and Designability 51:25 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping purposeful organisations. Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose Connect with us:  Jim Bowes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbowes/ Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/