There was a time when putting up a website on the internet required a set of specialized skills and in-depth knowledge of an alphabet soup of terms, like HTML, CSS, and PHP. But nowadays, anyone can build and launch their own site in a matter of hours, with platforms like WordPress and Wix simplifying the process tremendously.

Something similar is happening with another aspect of modern life: app development. Creating and building apps, whether on web or mobile, have long been the domain of developers, requiring years of study and a comprehensive knowledge of programming languages like Python and Java.

However, the arrival of no-code development could change that.

What is no-code?

According to Ryan Chew, chief operating officer of Singapore government-supported deep tech ecosystem platform Tribe, the definition of no-code, in the broadest sense, is the ability to do any kind of computation or development without having to use any kind of code.

“With no-code, you have a visual way to develop applications where you can drag and drop and do computations without thinking about the actual programming language. You just use your own logic,” he explains. Ryan Chew, COO of Tribe

No-code development platforms are very similar to website builders like Wix. Much like how it allows users to build websites simply by clicking on and dragging elements, and making adjustments to the site on an entirely visual platform, no-code platforms do the same with app development. There are numerous no-code tools available on the market such as Bubble and Airtable, among others, but at their core, they all do the same thing: enable users to build apps without any form of coding.

According to Hum Qing Ze, a product manager at Tribe, no-code provides a low-cost, less time-consuming way for companies to build apps. No-code has seen a surge of interest in recent years, as a result of the growing push toward digitization among businesses – a push that has been made more urgent by the Covid-19 pandemic. Enterprises are increasingly aware of the importance of going digital, and the value of being able to build applications that can benefit a business without going through the lengthy development process has been amplified.

Case in point: after the “circuit breaker” had ended in Singapore, many restaurants launched web apps, where customers can view menus and place their orders, to increase operational efficiency. Such apps would typically take months to build and code and require business owners to hire a developer to build one for them. However, the use of no-code tools means that companies can do it on their own at a fraction of the cost and time.

“There’s technical know-how required to be able to figure out what you want [for your app]. If you want to launch your web app now, you’ve got to look at things such as where to host it, what its framework is, what the front-end would look like,” says Hum. “But with a no-code app, you don’t have to worry about those details.”

The democratization of app development

In Chew’s view, the use of no-code tools can play a significant role in helping entrepreneurs actually get started, especially folks who have great ideas for app-based businesses.

“People like you and me can easily take our next app idea and make it a reality. Anybody who has a good idea can now actually execute it on their own without needing to find a chief technology officer or invest huge amounts of money into building the product,” he says. “It’s the democratization of app development.”

Founders often find themselves in a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation when they first start out. They need to prove that there’s a demand for their product and ideally, they’d want to have a prototype before they go knocking on investors’ doors. However, creating a product requires money, especially if the founder doesn’t have the know-how to do it themselves.

No-code development tools help address this barrier, as startups can build a prototype of the product they have in mind using these platforms, without needing to hire developers or use any complex coding language.

This allows them to create a minimum viable product (MVP) at a much more affordable price and within a shorter time period. Founders will also have more flexibility to change and adapt the product in response to feedback, and avoid making hefty investments in building an app that may not actually be what users are looking for.

According to Chew, no-code “puts the power of app development in the hands of business owners.” It reduces the barriers to entry for new startups, allowing them to leapfrog slower competitors and move faster.

“This will have the knock-on effect of spurring more competition and generating more tech solutions for us all to enjoy,” he adds.

How far can no-code go?

But while no-code can enable the creation of new apps, allowing people to get started on their app-based businesses in a faster and more cost-effective manner, there are limitations to what it can do.

Although many no-code platforms offer high degrees of customization and support for scaling as a business grows, that support only goes so far.

Hum likens the app development process to that of roasting coffee. No-code, in his view, is the equivalent of buying ground or instant coffee at the supermarket and using it for your morning cup. However, if you’re after a more sophisticated experience, you may seek out more intricate roasts from speciality shops or even embark on the process of roasting your own beans in order to have full control over the experience.

“If you want something more unique, more customizable, you’ll eventually need to go off from the no-code platform and build something that’s your own,” Hum explains.

Additionally, while no-code is a great option for building a MVP, it also shouldn’t be the bedrock upon which founders build their companies.

Most apps built on no-code, especially web apps, are hosted on the platforms themselves, which manage most of the backend details involved in the process. If these platforms go down one day, they’ll take the businesses that were built on them with them, unless companies are able to move their apps out in an effective manner.

“If your technology is your core business, you will want to retain control, and you will still want a high level of customization,” says Chew. “You don’t want your business to be contingent on the success of another business.”

“Think of no-code as an enabler and a force multiplier,” Hum adds. It makes the process of app development easier and more accessible at an early stage, but for tech-driven companies, it is best used as a starting point.

The future of app development

While it is unlikely that no-code will completely replace coding and traditional app development, the way these tools lower the barriers to entry has significant purpose, primarily by making the process easier and more accessible to non-technical folk.

“Developers will always be in demand, but with no-code, anybody who has a good idea can actually execute it on their own, and no-code will be able to take that forward,” says Chew. “You allow more ideas to flow, more innovation.”

From Hum’s perspective, no-code will change app development in the broader scheme of things by allowing the process to work more efficiently. Developers will be focused on more high-level aspects of coding, as no-code tools can already help address the fundamentals of the process.

Courtesy: https://www.techinasia.com/nocode-future-app-development