Why Looker Studio and Power BI Can Feel So Fiddly

Data visualisation tools like Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) and Power BI promise to turn raw data into actionable insights. In theory, they are powerful. In practice, many users find them frustratingly slow, fiddly, and cumbersome to work with.

The Challenges

1. Complex Interfaces Both Looker Studio and Power BI offer a lot of functionality, but that can be overwhelming. Dragging and dropping charts, configuring metrics, and setting up filters often feels unintuitive, especially for users without a data analytics background.

2. Performance Issues When handling large datasets, dashboards can become sluggish. Loading times increase, interactions lag, and reports can feel unresponsive. This makes exploratory analysis frustrating and time-consuming.

3. Data Connectivity Limitations While both tools connect to multiple data sources, linking and blending datasets can be fiddly. Changes in source data may break reports, requiring constant troubleshooting.

4. Customisation Trade-offs Looker Studio allows easy sharing and simple visuals, but complex styling or interactivity often feels restrictive. Power BI offers more flexibility, but creating polished reports requires a steep learning curve and careful optimisation.

5. Collaboration Friction Unlike simpler spreadsheet-based dashboards, multi-user collaboration can be tricky. Versioning issues, permissions, and refresh schedules often add extra headaches.

   
   

Why We Keep Using Them

Despite these frustrations, organisations persevere because both tools offer powerful insights, automation, and integration capabilities. The ability to visualise data dynamically, pull from multiple sources, and share interactive dashboards keeps teams committed, even if it requires patience.

Tips to Mitigate Frustration

• Keep dashboards simple and focused to improve load speed.

• Limit the number of connected data sources or pre-aggregate data before pulling it in.

• Use templates or pre-built visuals to save time and reduce fiddliness.

• Schedule refreshes rather than relying on real-time processing for large datasets.

  
  

Looker Studio and Power BI are powerful, but their strength is also their weakness: flexibility and capability come with complexity. Understanding the tools’ limitations, optimising datasets, and focusing on simpler, faster dashboards can make them less sluggish and more enjoyable to use.