No Code Tools: Unleashing Creativity in the Workplace
No Code tools have the potential to help businesses cut costs, speed software development and drive innovation.
Until relatively recently, there has been a great divide in the workplace between those who can write code to a professional standard and the much larger groups of people who gratefully utilise software that has been created for them.
That is changing. The arrival of “no-code” tools is enabling workers to create applications without seeking help from experienced coders. There has been an explosion in the no code tools market over the past few years and this has the potential to boost productivity by unleashing a new wave of creativity
Traditionally, software has been written using programming languages such as Python, Javascript, SQL or C#. Some are generalist – enabling the creation of a broad range of software products – others are designed for specific purposes such as e-commerce or database applications. To those with no background or knowledge of software development, coding is often seen as something too complicated or complex to consider.
No-code products are changing the game. Rather than requiring users to learn complex coding languages, software is constructed using visual drag-and-drop interfaces. Designed to be intuitive, these applications are speeding up the process of software development while also empowering workers to create software that will help them to become more productive and effective.
The Rise of No Code Products
The no-code concept isn’t new. Anyone who has built a website using visual templates rather than the underlying HTML code will be aware of the principle. A simple-to-use visual interface allows the user to create a representation of the site, which is constructed using underlying and invisible HTML code.
Website creators such as WIX and WordPress have been around for some time but in the last few years, we’ve seen the arrival of new tools designed for a much broader range of commercial use cases.
Mobile app design is a case in point. In today’s trading environment, it’s often essential for businesses to have a range of apps serving different functions. Building these using traditional coding methods would be time-consuming and expensive. Tools such as Adalo and Appy Pie are not only speeding up the development process but also enabling teams without coding ability to create applications as and when they are needed.
Other examples of companies working in the no-code field include Softr,Airtable, Notion and Mintdata. Meanwhile, tech giant Google has its own no-code product Appsheet, which can be used to create applications and automated processes.
The Benefits of No Code
Employing no-code tools will be a new departure for many businesses, particularly those accustomed to outsourcing their development requirements to specialist consultancies. But dispensing with code – at least in some instances – offers numerous advantages.
For one thing, no-code tools have the potential to help organisations become much more agile. Applications can be created quickly, allowing businesses to save time when bringing new products, processes and business models to market.
This agility is coupled with lower costs. It is potentially cheaper to create applications using existing in-house staff rather than paying agencies or consultancies to do the work. Crucially, because non-coders can create applications, companies won’t find themselves in a bidding war to recruit rare-as-gold dust IT specialists. While there is still a big role for the IT team, non-specialists can do at least some of the work.
This in turn provides opportunities to harness the creativity of existing workers. By enabling workers to design their own bespoke applications, there is an opportunity to tap into the collective knowledge of the team and create something genuinely innovative. Crucially, prototypes and minimum viable products can be worked up and tested very rapidly.
Equally important, an app created in-house can be adapted and scaled as business requirements change. The teams responsible for the original app can simply open up the tool and make the necessary changes without the need to call in outside help from an external consultancy or in-house IT. The result – fewer backlogs and project delays.
There may of course be concerns about security. This should not necessarily be a worry. The major no-code products come with built in security protocols. They are also designed to integrate with a wide range of applications.
Things to Consider
No-code tools are not perfect. As anyone who has used an instant website builder will tell you, while the process may be rapid, creativity is limited by the available templates. The same principle applies to the broader range of no-code products. They are highly effective tools, but ultimately the design of the tool and its templates will be a limiting factor, not only in terms of functionality but also scalability and integration. Sometimes it is better to design the software from scratch and write lines of code. And while, in theory, they can be used by everyone, the learning curve can be steep.
Nevertheless, no-code tools are changing the face of application development. This is often couched in terms of the rise of “citizen developers” – non specialists who can nonetheless design and create software. But the role of specialist IT teams is also changing. Experience with no-code tools is becoming a requirement. And with less coding to do, demand is growing for IT staff who can take on a strategic planning role.
As the digital transformation of business continues at pace, no code tools are likely to play an increasingly important role.
