At the Association for Survey Computing conference this year, I shared something simple but powerful: how the humble Excel spreadsheet is stepping into a new role—not just as a tool for analysis, but as a canvas for creativity.

Thanks to the integration of Python, survey researchers can now embed advanced techniques directly within Excel, including:

  • Dynamic charts, radar charts, polar histograms, word clouds, and pair plots

  • RIM weighting, segmentation trees, fuzzy logic for open-end coding, and synthetic data

  • Fake data creation and QR code generation

These capabilities unlock a fresh way of working—where scripting meets spreadsheets, and analysts can build, visualise, and iterate all in one place.

You can download the full example spreadsheet, complete with code, from our GitHub page:

Link: ArrowstreamUK/python-in-excel

Please note: These examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. You should carry out your own quality assurance before using them in a production environment.

Examples of the visuals in the workbook

Re-watch our presentation at the ASC 

Creativity and Curiosity are key to success

Curiosity and creativity are now as essential as formulas and functions.
With the help of AI and the wealth of Python examples available online, I find the real limitation isn’t the tools—it’s our imagination.

The Python examples included in this Excel workbook were each born from one of three things: a client problem that needed solving, inspiration from others’ work, or simple curiosity to see what was possible.

Credit and thanks to:

For more on Python in Excel, I highly recommend Microsoft’s official documentation:
Get started with Python in Excel – Microsoft Support

There you’ll find everything you need, including supported libraries, current limitations, and FAQs for this incredible new capability.

Picture of Andrew Le Breuilly

Andrew Le Breuilly

Andrew has over 15 years of experience working in Data Visualisation and Market Research. He has worked on some of the most complex surveys and has delivered 200+ Tableau dashboards for clients. He holds the Market Research Advanced Certificate and has a passion for delivering high quality, visually appealing survey analysis.