Final Project 3: Exercise Data Visualization — Google Looker Dashboard

Ramadhian Ekaputra
7 min readJul 5, 2024

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What is Data Visualization?

Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data, leveraging visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps to provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data. It plays a crucial role in the realm of data analysis, transforming complex datasets into intuitive, visual narratives that facilitate better comprehension and decision-making. By converting raw numbers into compelling visual stories, data visualization helps businesses and individuals alike to identify insights, drive informed decisions, and communicate findings more effectively, ultimately making data more engaging and actionable.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Why Choose Google Looker Over Power BI and Tableau?

Choosing Google Looker over Power BI and Tableau can be influenced by several unique advantages that Looker offers:

  1. Integrated Data Platform: Looker seamlessly integrates with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), making it an excellent choice for businesses already utilizing GCP services. This integration allows for streamlined data analysis and visualization workflows within the Google ecosystem.
  2. Modern Data Architecture: Looker employs a modern approach to data analytics with its in-database architecture. It queries data directly from your database in real-time, ensuring you always work with the most up-to-date information without data extraction and storage.
  3. Customization with LookML: Looker uses a unique modeling language called LookML, which enables data analysts to create reusable and consistent data models. This provides flexibility and control over how data is defined and used, ensuring accuracy and consistency across different reports and dashboards.
  4. Collaborative Business Intelligence: Looker emphasizes collaboration, allowing users to share insights and data easily across the organization. It supports embedded analytics, where visualizations and dashboards can be integrated into other applications, fostering a data-driven culture.
  5. User-Friendly Interface: Looker’s interface is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, catering to both technical and non-technical users. This reduces the learning curve and empowers users across the organization to independently generate and explore data insights.
  6. Scalability and Performance: Looker is built to handle large datasets and complex queries efficiently. Its architecture is designed for scalability, making it suitable for growing businesses with increasing data needs.
  7. Comprehensive Data Governance: Looker provides robust data governance features, ensuring that data is accessed and used appropriately across the organization. This includes detailed access controls, data validation, and the ability to audit data usage.

While Power BI and Tableau are also powerful tools with their strengths, Google Looker stands out for its integration with Google Cloud, modern data architecture, and emphasis on collaboration and customization. These features make it an attractive choice for organizations looking for a flexible, scalable, and user-friendly data visualization and analytics platform.

CASE: Monthly Sales Performance Dashboard Development

From this Case

Dear Data Analyst,

Menindaklanjuti meeting gabungan kemarin, kami akan membuat suatu dashboard untuk memantau dan mengevaluasi pencapaian penjualan tiap bulannya. Dalam dashboard tersebut akan terdiri dari 2 halaman dan dibuat dengan menggunakan lookerstudio.google.com

1.Tim marketing ingin melihat perkembangan campaign pada tahun 2022, trend nya seperti apa? Diberikan penjelasan dan bagaimana call to action-nya agar tim dapat mengambil sebuah keputusan ke depannya.

2.Selama 2022, tampilkan category mobile & tablet yang sudah terjadi pembayaran secara jazzwallet. Berapa quantity dan customer nya?

3.Buatlah chart berdasarkan dashboard nomor 2.

Terima kasih.

Regard,

Tim Marketing

Sales Dashboard Overview

Objective:

To create a dashboard using Looker Studio for monitoring and evaluating monthly sales performance, based on 2022 data, aimed at assisting the marketing team in decision-making.

Page 1: Campaign Performance in 2022

  • Metrics: Value Sales (Before Discount), Net Profit, AOV (Average Order Value)
  • Filters: Order Date, Category, Sales Value, Transaction Validity, Payment Method
  • Insights & Actions: Analyse sales trends to inform marketing decisions.

Page 2: Product Performance

  • Table: Product Name, Category, Before Discount, After Discount, Net Profit, Quantity, Unique Customers
  • Filters: Order Date, Category, Transaction Validity, Payment Method
  • Scorecard Metrics: Before Discount, After Discount, Net Profit, Quantity, Unique Customers, AOV
  • Special Analysis: Mobile & Tablet category with Jazzwallet payments in 2022.

Click here for detailed information

Dataset

Objective:

  • Demonstrate the use of Google Looker for data analysis and visualization.

Dataset Source:

  • Data from Tokopedia (mock data) is accessible here.

Google Looker Capabilities:

  • Transform raw data into meaningful insights.
  • Aid in better decision-making and strategy formulation.

Report Example:

Goal:

  • Provide a comprehensive overview of the data.
  • Highlight key trends and metrics.
  • Showcase Google Looker’s ability to convert data into actionable business intelligence.

Upload The Dataset

  1. Open the data source
  2. Click File → Make a copy → Choose the designated folder
  3. On Google Looker → Click Blank Report
  4. On Google Connectors, → Click Google Sheets
  5. Click Copy of Data Sales → click Add
  6. On the page, → Click ADD TO REPORT
Open the data source → Click File → Make a copy
Choose the designated folder
On Google Looker → Click Blank Report
On Google Connectors, → Click Google Sheets
Click Copy of Data Sales → click Add
On the page, → Click ADD TO REPORT

Page 1 — Campaign Performance

Campaign Performance Dashboard

Page 2— Sales Performance Dashboard

Product Sales and Customer Insight Dashboard

CASE 1

  1. The marketing team wishes to observe the development of campaigns in the year 2022. What is the trend like? Please provide an explanation and suggest the appropriate call to action so that the team can make informed decisions going forward.

The trend in 2022 shows a general decline, with the peak occurring in September 2022, indicating that the campaign was unsuccessful. The Mobile and Tablets category had the lowest profit at 14.12%, while the School and Education category had the highest profit at 27.04%.

To improve, it is recommended to enhance the Mobile and Tablets category by incorporating new features, upgrading the design, and providing more attractive pre-order offers.

2. During 2022, display the quantities and number of customers for the “Mobile & Tablets” category that made payments using jazzwallet.

To address that question, we need to filter by selecting “Mobile & Tablets” in the Category filter, then apply the “jazzvoucher” filter under Payment, and set the Value Transaction filter to “Valid.”

Based on the dashboard, we can see that in 2022, within the Mobile & Tablets category, there was only one transaction using jazzvoucher, involving a single customer (C460487L) and a single item.

3. Create a chart based on the dashboard from point number 2.

Google Looker Studio Overview

Google Looker Studio is a powerful data visualization application featuring a user-friendly interface reminiscent of Microsoft Excel. It allows users to execute SQL-like queries and input Excel-like formulas, making it accessible to those familiar with spreadsheet software.

Capabilities and Benefits

  • Diverse Range of Visualizations: Looker Studio provides a wide array of visualization options to represent data effectively.
  • Data Connectivity: It connects seamlessly with various data sources, enabling comprehensive data integration and analysis.
  • Ease of Insights: The platform facilitates easy extraction of insights from data, helping users understand complex information at a glance.
  • Informed Decision-Making: By providing clear and actionable visualizations, Looker Studio aids in making informed decisions and formulating effective action plans.

Maximizing Value

  • User Engagement: Regularly follow up with users to ensure they are utilizing the platform effectively and gaining the insights they need.
  • Effective Visualizations: Focus on creating the most impactful visualizations to communicate data clearly and drive better decision-making.

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