The Looker Studio COVID-19 Data Project at gacovid19.org brought together research, technology, and storytelling to deliver timely economic insights during a global pandemic. Led by Georgia Tech students, the site publishes weekly economic reports, industry-specific updates, and podcast episodes—all supported by live interactive charts built with Looker Studio.
As collaborators, our mission was to help identify the best tool to visualize dynamic data across web and mobile. After evaluating numerous platforms, Looker Studio stood out as the most efficient, accessible, and responsive solution.
Why We Chose Looker Studio for This COVID-19 Data Project
The project demanded a tool that was:
• Collaborative for a multi-contributor team
• Flexible with responsive design support
• Live-data ready, to reflect weekly updates
• User-friendly, even for non-developers
• Free and cloud-based
Looker Studio checked all these boxes—and then some.
Formerly known as Google Data Studio, Looker Studio builds on its legacy as a go-to tool for visualizing Google Analytics data, but its capabilities stretch far beyond digital marketing. In the case of this COVID-19 data project, Looker Studio made it easy to create and maintain charts without technical roadblocks.
Google Sheets + Looker Studio = Real-Time Data Visuals
At the heart of the Looker Studio COVID-19 Data Project was a seamless integration between Google Sheets and Looker Studio. This powerful pairing enabled:
• Automatic chart updates as new data was added to the Sheets
• No manual embedding or re-uploading
• Continuous publishing with minimal upkeep
This live-linking ability was critical to gacovid19.org, where the research team frequently updated data sets related to unemployment rates, consumer behavior, and other pandemic-related metrics.
Mobile-Friendly Charts That Look Great Everywhere
Designing for multiple screen sizes is non-negotiable in 2025. One major strength of Looker Studio is its ability to support responsive web design—particularly when graphs are formatted using common aspect ratios like 16:9 or 4:3.
Compared to tools like Tableau, which often required manual tweaking or reloading to adapt to smaller screens, Looker Studio handled layout transitions more gracefully.
Challenges We Encountered Using Looker Studio
Despite its many advantages, the Looker Studio COVID-19 Data Project did hit a few roadblocks. Here’s what we had to navigate:
Lack of County-Level Map Support
Unfortunately, Looker Studio does not yet support detailed geographic visualizations, such as showing COVID-19 metrics by Georgia county. We had to use Tableau Public for this specific need, which added an extra layer to our workflow.
Thumbnail Limitations
Looker Studio lacks quality thumbnail generation for charts. The previews are small and often not usable in website layouts. To solve this, we built a custom Node.js script using Chromium to auto-generate high-resolution chart previews for the homepage.
Browser Compatibility Issues
Some charts didn’t render properly in Safari, due to known Looker Studio quirks. While not a dealbreaker, it required a few fallback solutions and extra testing across browsers.
Empowering Student Researchers with Looker Studio
One of the most rewarding outcomes of the Looker Studio COVID-19 Data Project was how it enabled Georgia Tech students—many with no coding background—to independently create their own dashboards and visual reports.
We provided initial guidance, but the platform’s drag-and-drop interface allowed contributors to explore and present their data without relying on a developer for every edit. This autonomy led to faster publication cycles and a stronger sense of ownership over the content.
The Looker Studio COVID-19 Data Project Was a Success
In the end, Looker Studio proved to be the right platform for bringing real-time, research-backed COVID-19 data to life. While it wasn’t without a few minor challenges, the benefits far outweighed the limitations:
• Students created and managed their own charts
• Weekly data was published without delay
• The site worked beautifully across all devices
• No licensing fees or complex setup required
For organizations or teams tackling live data storytelling—especially on a tight budget—Looker Studio remains one of the best choices out there.
FAQs
What is the Looker Studio COVID-19 Data Project?
It’s a Georgia Tech-led initiative tracking COVID-19’s economic impact on Georgia, using Looker Studio for data visualization.
Is Looker Studio still free to use?
Yes, Looker Studio remains a free tool offered by Google, making it perfect for educational and nonprofit projects.
Can I use Looker Studio to show geographic data?
Looker Studio supports limited map charts but doesn’t currently allow detailed visualizations like U.S. counties. For those, Tableau or other tools are better suited.
Can non-technical users work with Looker Studio?
Absolutely. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it beginner-friendly, even for users with no programming experience.
Does Looker Studio support responsive design?
Yes! Charts built with fixed aspect ratios resize well on tablets and mobile devices.
How can I create thumbnails of Looker Studio reports?
You’ll need to use a custom script with Chromium or Puppeteer to generate high-quality screenshots for previews.
