In parallel with this discussion, I'm doing some design work in a Word table. It's funny, I didn't even think of using Excel. Excel's grid-oriented focus gets me out of creative space and into analytical space. Also I used to do a lot of spreadsheeting and would have dreams about being in the grid of the spreadsheet and having to maneuver around, so it doesn't have particularly pleasant associations to me.
I've also used Excel for some mockups. This forces you to keep things in grids and focus on simplicity, functionality and usability rather than the fluff that Photoshop filters bring.
Here's why:
- It's free
- I have a perfect grid system
- I can color in anything with borders and gradients also
- I can format the text with spacing
- Margin and padding properties are done using cell spacing properties
- You can add pictures anywhere
- I can easily copy the entire worksheet and paste it into Paint