Unlocking the Future of Low-code/No-code: Trends and Predictions

The low-code/no-code (LCNC) revolution is reshaping the way organisations approach application development. With advancements like Generate AI (GenAI) deeply integrated into LCNC platforms, the stage is set for transformative possibilities that promise to democratise technology and accelerate digital innovation.

Here are key insights and predictions shaping the LCNC domain and the broader impact it will have on industries worldwide.

The Surge in LCNC Adoption

For a long time, low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms were considered just one option among many in an organisation’s tech stack. However, they are now evolving into a primary choice for new enterprise implementations.

The adoption of LCNC platforms has significantly increased in recent years. Analysts at Gartner project that by 2025, 70% of new applications developed by organisations will utilise LCNC technologies, a substantial rise from less than 25% in 2020.

Non-technical employees are also increasingly empowered to create applications using LCNC platforms. Gartner forecasts that by 2026, 80% of users of low-code development tools will be outside traditional IT departments.

Industries Embracing LCNC

LCNC platforms are rapidly becoming the go-to choice for business operations applications due to their faster time-to-value compared to traditional methods. Growth opportunities include expanding industry-specific solutions and integrating emerging technologies like Gen AI. LCNC adoption among SMEs and enterprise-wide implementations with governance frameworks are driving large-scale digital transformation.

Furthermore, LCNC platforms will be widely used across various industries, with significant adoption in IT, BFSI, Retail, and E-commerce. Many business challenges remain unsolved because they lack the ROI to justify using traditional tech stacks or off-the-shelf products. However, these challenges are still critical for businesses, which drives the need for faster and more efficient ways to deploy tailored solutions.

Regional Trends and Learnings

Citizen development is gaining strong acceptance in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia due to advanced digital literacy, supportive organisational cultures, and a focus on innovation. However, adoption in the MEA (Middle East and Africa) region lags owing to the preference for traditional development methods, and a shortage of citizen developer ecosystems.

Interestingly, the LCNC market thrives globally, including in MEA, as enterprises recognise its ability to drive efficiency and bridge IT gaps. The challenge lies in educating organisations in lagging regions about the broader potential of citizen development. Learnings from more mature geographies suggest that aligning training, creating a governance framework, and demonstrating clear ROI can accelerate adoption.

LCNC + AI: Unlocking Citizen Development

LCNC+AI will finally make citizen development a reality. While LCNC platforms have reduced the learning curve and cognitive load, business users still need to undergo a significant transformational journey to solve their own problems using these platforms. However, the addition of AI eliminates this barrier by enabling intuitive, natural language-based interactions, empowering users to build solutions with minimal effort and expertise.

With the advent of GenAI, citizen development is going to explode. GenAI democratises application development and this will empower non-technical users to build complex solutions, reducing dependency on IT teams. Industries will see faster innovation, cost efficiency, and broader adoption of digital transformation.

Emerging Trends

Natural Language-Driven Interactions: Forms and traditional interfaces are being replaced by conversational chat, enabling users to interact through natural language. IT is embedding Gen AI-powered chat interfaces to deliver seamless conversational experiences .

Multi-Modal User Interactions: Interactions are moving beyond text to include audio, video, and images, offering more intuitive options. Products are adopting voice recognition, video inputs, and computer vision to support diverse inputs.

Composable UI for Personalisation: Applications are embracing modular, composable UI components to create highly personalised experiences. IT is leveraging design systems and micro frontends to dynamically assemble UIs based on user preferences and context.

Shaping 2024 and Beyond: Kissflow’s Vision

2024 marks a transformative year for the software industry because of GenAI, where longstanding challenges are being invalidated, and the product landscape is undergoing rapid evolution. Incumbent players face growing pressure to reinvent themselves to stay relevant, while new-age product companies are leveraging GenAI to disrupt the market with new way of solving problems.

Looking ahead to 2025, GenAI adoption will accelerate across all business layers, driving a shift toward intuitive, adaptive, and highly personalised solutions. Organisations will prioritise speed, agility, and value creation, compelling product companies to embrace innovation and align with these changing dynamics to thrive in this competitive era.

With GenAI, Kissflow is at a transformative point, leveraging AI as a foundational element of our platform, not just an add-on. This shift aims to redefine application development and consumption by embedding intelligence into every aspect of the product. Our efforts will centre on enhancing user experience through natural language interactions, enabling adaptive and predictive solutions, and fundamentally reimagining workflows to harness the full potential of AI-driven innovation.

LCNC platforms are an incremental evolution of the traditional programming, with Gen AI advancing them into App Generation platforms. This aligns well with Kissflow’s understanding of this paradigm and we are better placed to exploit the advantages of Gen AI in this new paradigm.

Low-code/no-code platforms, bolstered by AI and GenAI, are revolutionising the way businesses approach application development. By empowering citizen developers and accelerating innovation, these platforms are not just addressing today’s challenges but shaping the future of technology adoption across industries and regions.