8.7. Effective Communication

Enhancing Looker Studio Reports with Images and Emojis

Learn how to use images, icons, and emojis to improve the visual appeal and communication effectiveness of your Looker Studio reports.

1. Add images: You can easily add images to your Looker Studio report by uploading them from your computer. This can help create a more engaging and visually appealing report.
2. Use icons: Services like Flat Icon offer a wide range of high-quality icons that you can use to enhance your report. Download the icons and place them in your report to create a more visually interesting and informative presentation.
3. Emojis: Emojis can be used in text, metric names, dimensions, or even the results of a case function to add some flair and personality to your report. If you're on a Mac, you can access emojis by pressing Control + Command + Space.
4. Blend images with charts: You can use images as backgrounds and style your charts to blend in seamlessly with the image. This can create a more cohesive and visually appealing report, making it more engaging for your audience.

Remember, the effectiveness of these visual elements depends on the preferences and expectations of your audience. Some clients may appreciate a more colorful and visually interesting report, while others may prefer a more straightforward presentation with tables and simple charts. Always consider your audience's preferences when designing your Looker Studio reports to ensure effective communication.

Creating External Annotations using Time Series Chart and Google Sheets

Learn how to create external annotations on a time series chart in Looker Studio using a combination of a time series chart and data from Google Sheets.

1. Google Sheets for comments: Create a simple Google Sheet with two columns: date and comment. This sheet will be used to store the annotations or comments for specific dates.
2. Create a table in Looker Studio: Connect the Google Sheet to your Looker Studio report and create a table displaying the date and comment columns. This table will automatically update to show only the comments relevant to the selected date range in your report.
3. Create a time series chart: Build a time series chart in Looker Studio to display your primary data (e.g., clicks over time). This chart will not be directly connected to the Google Sheet with the comments.
4. Overlay a bar chart: Create a second time series chart, set to display bars, and connect it to the same Google Sheet with the comments. Remove the axis by unchecking "Show Axis" and adjust the bar width to match the size of the chart above.
5. Combine the charts: Overlay the bar chart on top of the primary time series chart. This will create the appearance of vertical annotations on the primary chart, corresponding to the comments in the Google Sheet.

By using this workaround, you can create dynamic external annotations that update based on the selected date range in your Looker Studio report. This can be a useful way to provide context or explanations for specific data points in your time series chart. Keep in mind that this is a workaround and not a built-in feature, so future updates to Looker Studio may introduce a more streamlined solution for creating external annotations.

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Embedding Analysis, Insights, and Comments for Effective Communication