This tutorial focuses on data mapping and enrichment in Looker Studio, building upon a previous tutorial that created a student data analysis dashboard. The previous dashboard displayed gender as numerical values (1 and 2) instead of descriptive terms (male and female), and parental support as numbers (1, 2, and 3) instead of “low,” “medium,” and “high.” This tutorial demonstrates two methods to convert these numerical representations into their actual descriptions, enhancing the clarity and readability of the data.
The first method, considered the “proper way,” involves data blending. This is achieved by creating separate Google Sheets for gender and parental support, where IDs are mapped to their respective descriptions (e.g., 1 to male, 2 to female). These mapping sheets are then added as data sources to Looker Studio. Through the “manage blends” feature, the original student data is combined with these new mapping tables using left outer joins based on the corresponding ID fields. This blended data source can then be used in the dashboard’s charts, automatically displaying descriptive labels instead of numbers. The second method, a “shortcut,” utilizes calculated fields directly within Looker Studio. This involves creating new fields (e.g., “Sex” for gender, “Parental Support Description” for parental support) and using CASE WHEN statements to define the mapping logic. For example, a CASE WHEN statement for gender would specify “when gender is 1 then ‘Male’ else ‘Female’.” These calculated fields then replace the original numerical fields in the dashboard’s charts, achieving the same descriptive outcome without the need for external mapping tables or data blending.
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