We are fortunate to have a vibrant community of hundreds of members from all different places across the globe. We come together to talk about tools, tech, no-code and new ways to make creating & building even more productive than before. 

At Makerpad we love sharing our member’s journey through learning no-code, using new skills in their workplaces, building projects and even launching businesses. 

Each week we’ll be highlighting a member from our community and sharing their story, background and previous projects through our Member Spotlight blog post series. This week we are chatting to Christine Parfitt from Queensland, Australia.

Christine is the founder of Block and Table 

Hey Christine, great to have you be part of the Member's Spotlight. Can you give us some details on your background and how you got into no-code? How long have you been using no-code tools and what got you first interested?

My background is as a database developer, business analyst, user experience designer, and all round creative solution developer. I'm based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia and I’m the Founder of Block and Table. Overall I specialise in building no-code solutions. I create custom websites, databases, and improve process automation for my clients. My company offers fast, low cost software development for innovative companies.

I've been using no-code tools for the last 4 years. I was working for a startup and doing a lot of repetitive administrative work that I didn't want to do. I looked around for automation tools and discovered Zapier and then Airtable. That was my start in the world of no-code and I’ve embraced it fully since then. 

Every project that I complete through Block and Table is different and I work in many different ways. I work mostly solo but I also have a great network of IT professionals, and I often collaborate with them depending on the skill-set required. Being able to collaborate with people around the world is a great benefit of working remotely. 

All of my work is centred around building great solutions to solve problems no-code tools help me to do that. 

It sounds like you are really immersed in the no-code world and using it to help other businesses too! So can you take us through some of no-code projects have you built in the past and what tools did you use for them?

I've made things with Webflow, Coda, Glide, Zapier, and Airtable. My favourite projects have been for not-for-profit organisations. I made a Coda app for an environmental festival called "The Planting". For one weekend each year around 15 team leaders organise tree plantings on a beautiful 500 acre property in Queensland, Australia.

‍The logistics are fairly complex and it used to be managed with phone calls and paper. The Coda app stores all the data on teams, species, equipment, status, support requests etc and filters it so each team leader gets the information they need.

That’s fantastic that you’ve been able to use your no-code skills for such a great cause. So let's bring things up to the current day, what are you currently working on and what stage is it at?

I'm working with a team developing a no-code solution for locative story telling. Locative interactive storytelling uses audio, photos and maps to create stories designed to be experienced in the locations where they are based. The project is called Soundtrails. In its current version, communities can commission a Soundtrail. They are connected with an audio producer who uses the Soundtrails platform to create their stories as a powerful locative audio experience. In the no-code version, currently in alpha, anyone can use the Soundtrails platform to drag and drop audio files onto a map and create their own Soundtrail.

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The projects I build work well because I’m more than an individual tool expert. My strength lies in understanding the business requirements, now and for the future, and designing a solution which often uses a combination of a suite of no-code tools. 

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That’s a really interesting use for no-code and it’s very true that a no-code project will only work well if it fits the needs of the company.  Thinking more of the future, what are you looking forward to seeing happen in the no-code space in the years to come? 

I think there’s a shift happening in software. Small, innovative companies are not spending huge amounts of their time and money building something that inevitably changes. I'm looking forward to more awareness of no-code tools within the small business community and seeing what develops from this.

Companies are starting to recognise the importance of getting their ideas in front of customers. Delivering something quickly and using it to figure out what people want and what they will pay.

No-code platforms are surging in popularity due to the low cost of building, the lack of reliance on developers, and the intuitive interfaces which democratises software creation and maintenance. The popular no-code tools I choose cover everything from websites, workflow automations to apps. 

The tools really are just a way to get things done most efficiently, more companies will catch on to that over time and start to embrace no-code tools just like you have. Do you have a favourite no-code tool? And what's the next no-code tool you're thinking of trying out?

It’s always difficult to choose just one, however I'm a huge coda fan. Workflowy is also another no-code tool I use constantly. Lately my main no-code stack includes Webflow for websites, Airtable for databases, Zapier for automation, and Coda for apps. 

The reason I choose no-code tools is because they are the building blocks for making things happen. 

Overall my favourite tool is usually whichever one I'm currently using. The next tool on my list to try out is Softr.

Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Christine. We look forward to hearing more about your journey soon! 

Keep an eye open for our next Member Spotlight blog post coming soon!