Week 6 - BALT 4361 - Data Visualization

Looker Studio

Formerly known as Google Data Studio, Looker Studio is a powerful data visualization and reporting tool. This is a great tool that is free and widely used and can be an excellent skill addition for resumes. Looker Studio uses data from sources such as Google Analytics, Google Sheets, Google Ads, and BigQuery. There are also many more it can pull from, however, it uses a drag-and-drop interface that is easy to use for everyone no matter the skill set.

Functions

Over the years, Looker Studio has gained popularity among small and medium-sized businesses, marketers, and data analysts. Its seamless integration with other Google products makes it an easy choice for use and recommendation. With it being free, it's a no-brainer for companies that may be small and lack the budget for another program, essentially being risk-free. Some functions available are integration, transformation, interactive dashboards, customization, and collaboration and sharing.

Comparison

Another data visualization software is Tableau which is also widely used throughout businesses, however, has different pricing tiers that can suit large enterprises better than Looker Studio. Looker Studio being integrated with Google is a natural choice for those already using the Google suite of products. Despite this, Tableau is exceptional when it comes to data visualization and analytics capabilities that offer more sophisticated features such as predictive analysis and a wider range of visualization options. Some may find it to be a harder software to master when first getting started as it has more of a learning curve than Looker Studio, but once someone understands how to use it to its full potential, the possibilities are endless.