When I create dashboards in Looker Studio, I’m not just aiming for clear data visualisation, I want the report to feel like it belongs to the brand behind it. Whether it’s for a client or my own company, adding consistent branding elements helps reinforce identity, build trust, and create a more seamless user experience.
Here’s how I go about branding my reports from start to finish, using Looker Studio’s design features to make them both professional and purposeful.
1. Setting the visual tone: Colours and fonts
I always begin by customising the theme. This includes:
- Primary and secondary colours
- Chart palettes
- Page backgrounds
To access these, I head to the Theme and Layout, then click Customise.
I stick closely to brand guidelines, ensuring all colour choices support contrast and readability. For fonts, I typically use one for headings and one for body text, this keeps things tidy and consistent across the report. If the brand has a specific font, I find a close match within Looker Studio’s available options.
💡 Tip: High-contrast combinations not only look sharper but also improve accessibility.
2. Adding the logo
Next, I upload the logo:
- Click the Image icon in the toolbar
- Upload a PNG or SVG (preferably high-resolution)
- Place it in the top-left corner, a natural anchor point for users
3. Building branded structure: Headers and footers
For a report to feel coherent across all pages, I design a branded header or footer that includes:
- The logo
- The report title
- Optional navigation cues or page numbers
I create this using shapes and text boxes, and then selecting them and right-click to Make report-level, so it appears uniformly on every page. It’s a small step that saves time and brings consistency to the entire report.
4. Keeping It consistent: Report-level components
I apply the same report-level approach to any elements that should remain visible throughout:
- Date range selectors
- Key filters
- Brand assets
This not only keeps things tidy but also ensures updates apply globally. It’s one of my favourite ways to streamline both the build and maintenance process.
5. Navigation that matches the brand
Looker Studio’s default navigation is functional, but I often prefer to customise it:
- I use text boxes or buttons styled in brand colours
- These link to different pages, making it easy to explore the report
- I sometimes rename pages, group them into sections, or even hide them if they’re not ready to publish
For an extra polished feel, I’ll adjust the report layout settings to hide Looker Studio’s default header or navigation completely. This makes the dashboard feel more bespoke, less like a Google product and more like a branded tool.
6. Styling the charts
Charts deserve attention too. Using the Style tab, I customise:
- Colours
- Borders and shadows
- Rounded corners
- Sparklines or chart-specific visuals
If I have several charts to format the same way, I use the Paste special → Paste style only option, such a time-saver when keeping visual consistency across pages.
7. Refining the layout
Every report I build is designed for its intended use. Sometimes I adjust the canvas size to make the dashboard feel more like a slide or a full-page experience. I also:
- Switch to Fit to Width for better responsiveness
- Remove margins so the content fills the screen on all devices
- Change page-level styles when different sections require different layouts
- Hide individual pages during development
These adjustments help the report feel tailored and flexible, regardless of where it’s viewed.
8. Using templates for a branded head start
When time is tight or I want to prototype quickly, I start with a pre-designed template. There are excellent branded templates available for:
- Google Analytics
- BigQuery
- YouTube
- Google Ads
- Search Console
I select ‘Use my own data’, plug in the data source, and then style everything using the techniques above. It’s a great way to balance speed with branding consistency.
Final thoughts
Branding a Looker Studio report isn’t just about adding a logo, it’s about making the entire experience feel coherent, familiar, and reliable. From colours and fonts to structured navigation and styled charts, every detail contributes to how the report is perceived and used.
By applying these techniques, I’m able to create dashboards that don’t just deliver data, they deliver confidence in the data and the brand behind it.
If you’re looking to elevate your Looker Studio reports, I highly recommend treating branding as an essential part of the process, not an afterthought.
