When I create dashboards in Looker Studio, I’m not just thinking about the data, I’m thinking about how someone else will read and understand it. Great dashboards don’t just display metrics; they tell a story, guide the user’s attention, and answer key questions without needing a walkthrough.
Over time, I’ve refined a design approach that focuses on clarity, ease of use, and performance. And when I need to move quickly without compromising quality, I often turn to templates to give me a head start.
Here’s how I combine thoughtful design with practical tools to create dashboards that actually work for users.
My dashboard design principles
I always begin by asking a simple but crucial question: What is this dashboard for?
Once I understand the objective (whether it’s monitoring website performance, tracking sales, or reviewing campaign data), I make all other design choices with that goal in mind.
From there, these are the principles I stick to:
✅ Choose the right visualisations
Different data types call for different charts. I typically use:
- Line charts for trends over time
- Bar charts for comparisons
- Pie charts for proportions (sparingly!)
The key is to keep things simple. A clean visual beats a complicated one every time.
✅ Maintain consistency
Inconsistent fonts, colours, or layouts can be visually jarring. I use Looker Studio’s theme settings to apply consistent styling across the entire dashboard, so the report feels cohesive and easy to navigate.
✅ Organise layouts logically
I arrange data from summary to detail, with high-level KPIs at the top and deeper insights below. Grouping related metrics and using whitespace carefully helps me avoid clutter and makes the dashboard feel more structured.
✅ Use interactive controls
Adding interactivity makes a dashboard more engaging and useful. I include:
- Date range control
- Dropdown or fixed lists
- Advanced filters (where appropriate)
These give users the freedom to explore the data in a way that’s relevant to them.
✅ Optimise for performance
Slow dashboards are frustrating. To keep mine responsive, I:
- Avoid overloading pages with too many charts
- Use extracted data sources where possible
- Simplify complex calculations
This helps ensure users aren’t waiting around for things to load.
✅ Provide context
Titles, labels, and annotations are more important than many people realise. I always include descriptive headings and notes where needed so users know what they’re looking at, and why it matters.
✅ Test and iterate
I treat every dashboard as a work in progress. After launch, I collect feedback and make updates over time. It’s the best way to make sure my dashboards stay useful and aligned with changing business needs.
Why I use templates (and how I customise them)
Designing from scratch is rewarding, but not always necessary. Looker Studio’s template gallery offers an excellent starting point, especially when I’m short on time or need inspiration.
How I use templates:
- I visit the Looker Studio homepage and open the template gallery
- I browse by category or data source. For example, Google Analytics or BigQuery
- I preview a few reports to see which structure suits my needs
- I choose Use my own data and connect the relevant source
- I click Edit, and from there, I adapt the report based on:
- My design principles (layout, consistency, performance)
- The specific KPIs or dimensions relevant to the client or use case
Templates are available for a wide range of sources (Google Ads, YouTube, Search Console, GA4, and more), so I can usually find something that matches the direction I want to go in.
It’s not about using a template as-is. It’s about using it as a framework that I can refine and personalise.
Final thoughts
Clear, effective dashboard design in Looker Studio comes down to a combination of purpose-driven thinking and practical execution. Whether I’m designing from scratch or starting from a template, I focus on simplicity, clarity, and performance.
By following core design principles and making smart use of available resources, I’m able to build dashboards that are not just visually clean, but genuinely helpful to the people using them.
If you haven’t tried combining these approaches before, I highly recommend it.
