Designs are brought to life, faster, with Low-code/No-code platforms.

In addition to the advantages of sprint development, these platforms offer invaluable benefits when it comes to working in the two crucial phases of Concepting and Prototyping.

Concepting in Mendix

Let's talk about Concepting for a moment. A concept as something that emerges from our Ideation phases in a project, taking shape and offering potential benefits.

Take, for instance, the iconic hyperbolic paraboloid shape of a Pringle. The structural integrity of this not-allowed-to-be-called-a-crisp gave rise to new packaging, enhanced taste, and, well, a new customer experience. (If you're interested, you can delve into the subject by checking out the episode of  There’s no such thing a Fish  that covers it.)

Instead of merely sketching or considering low-fidelity concepts, which are excellent approaches but albeit a little ‘in the past’, our team has been rapidly building ideas in the Mendix low-code platform. We evaluate these concepts and gather feedback from clients, who are amazed by the speed and quality of a concept that can be developed in just a day or two.

These semi-functional concepts stimulate new iterations of ideas, prompts "what-if" scenarios, and helps the team progress quickly and, as a united front. 

Prototyping in with Low-code/No-code

For HCD practitioners and Design Thinkers, the transition to the prototyping stage is where the development of a new digital product, experience or service truly takes form. It's the intersection where design ideas and desirability meet engineering feasibility and viability. Our approach involves bridging the gap between our mid-fidelity prototype environment, such as Figma or Adobe XD, and the Mendix Low-Code Platform. By doing so, we can create prototypes in Figma that seamlessly integrate with the Mendix Atlas Design system (stay tuned for more details - this received a lot of attention at a recent Mendix Community Meetup).

This approach enables us to swiftly deliver high-fidelity prototypes to clients - with real data, functional integrations, and a fully operational front end.

After completing several projects using this methodology, our team gathered to reflect and extract valuable lessons - specifically focused on the utilization of a Low-code/No-code platform for building customer and employee experiences. 

There are five core reasons why prototyping within a Low-code/No-code application platform like Mendix in the context of human-centered design brings immense value. 

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Five reasons why designers should prototype in a Low-code/No-code application 

1. Speed and Efficiency

‍Low-code/no-code platforms like Mendix accelerate prototyping, allowing designers to quickly create functional prototypes without extensive coding. This saves time and enables more iterations, reducing Agile sprints from two weeks to one week in some cases.

2. Interactivity

Unlike static wireframes, prototypes built in low-code/no-code platforms can be interactive, mimicking the behaviour of the final product. This enables stakeholders, and potential users to provide feedback on not just the appearance, but also the functionality and user flow, leading to more valuable insights - very much aligned with a true Human-centred design philosophy.

3. Reduced Skill Barrier

Low-code/no-code platforms empower individuals without extensive coding skills to effectively contribute to prototype development. This broadens the range of team members involved. However, we have found that a basic understanding of relational data proves valuable for the team.

4. Better Communication

Interactive prototypes serve as powerful communication tools. Designers can showcase features, flows, and interactions in a way that non-technical stakeholders easily understand. It bridges the gap between imagination and reality, making it less burdensome for clients to envision future customer experiences solely based on artifacts like journey maps and personas.

5. Collaboration

What's great about the Mendix low-code/no-code platform we use is the integrations. These features allow designers, low-code engineers, and stakeholders to collaborate directly within the platform. In the future, we will share more about how we leverage User Story features in platforms like Mendix to ensure that everyone's needs and ideas are considered.

Harnessing the power of Low-code/No-code platforms for prototyping enables a dynamic, iterative, and collaborative approach to design implementation. It empowers teams to swiftly and efficiently transform ideas into tangible creations—an integral aspect of the iterative nature of human-centered design. While we have explored various platforms (including Microsoft's Power Platform, Salesforce.com, and ServiceNow) our preference lies with Mendix as our low-code/no-code platform. 

Our expertise in Digital Solutioning & Implementation spans Private, Government and Not-For-Profits, enabling us to prepare your organisation for the ever-changing digital landscape and evolving customer expectations. Get in touch with our team below to start a conversation.