In this section, we will delve into the customization options available in Google Data Studio for charts and tables. Customizing these elements allows you to create more visually appealing and informative reports that cater to your specific needs.

1. Chart Types: Understanding the different types of charts and tables available.
2. Customization Options: Exploring the various customization settings.
3. Practical Examples: Applying customizations to real-world scenarios.
4. Exercises: Hands-on practice to reinforce learning.

Google Data Studio offers a variety of chart types, each suited for different kinds of data visualization:

• Bar Charts: Ideal for comparing quantities across categories.
• Line Charts: Perfect for showing trends over time.
• Pie Charts: Useful for displaying proportions.
• Tables: Great for detailed data presentation.
• Scorecards: Highlight key metrics.
• Geo Maps: Visualize data geographically.

1. Chart Style:

   • Background Color: Change the background color to match your theme.
   • Border: Add or remove borders and adjust their thickness and color.
   • Padding: Adjust the space around the chart.

2. Chart Elements:

   • Title: Customize the chart title's font, size, color, and alignment.
   • Legend: Modify the legend's position, font, and color.
   • Axis Labels: Change the font, size, and color of axis labels.

1. Bar Charts:

   • Bar Color: Change the color of the bars.
   • Bar Width: Adjust the width of the bars.
   • Data Labels: Show or hide data labels and customize their appearance.

2. Line Charts:

   • Line Color: Change the color of the lines.
   • Line Style: Choose between solid, dashed, or dotted lines.
   • Point Style: Customize the points on the line (e.g., circles, squares).

3. Pie Charts:

   • Slice Colors: Customize the colors of the slices.
   • Slice Labels: Show or hide labels and adjust their font and size.
   • Donut Hole: Adjust the size of the donut hole if using a donut chart.

4. Tables:

   • Row Colors: Alternate row colors for better readability.
   • Column Width: Adjust the width of columns.
   • Cell Padding: Modify the padding within cells.
   • Conditional Formatting: Apply different styles based on cell values.

Example 1: Customizing a Bar Chart

1. Create a Bar Chart:

   • Add a bar chart to your report.
   • Connect it to your data source.

2. Customize the Bar Chart:

   - Change the bar color to blue.
   - Adjust the bar width to 50%.
   - Enable data labels and set the font size to 12px.
   - Set the background color to light gray.
   - Add a border with a thickness of 2px and color black.
   

Example 2: Customizing a Table

1. Create a Table:

   • Add a table to your report.
   • Connect it to your data source.

2. Customize the Table:

   - Set alternate row colors to light blue and white.
   - Adjust the column width to fit the content.
   - Set cell padding to 10px.
   - Apply conditional formatting to highlight cells with values greater than 100 in green.
   

Exercise 1: Customizing a Line Chart

1. Task: Create a line chart and customize it with the following settings:

   • Line color: Red
   • Line style: Dashed
   • Point style: Circles
   • Background color: White
   • Title: "Monthly Sales Trends"
   • Legend position: Bottom

2. Solution:

   - Add a line chart to your report and connect it to your data source.
   - Change the line color to red.
   - Set the line style to dashed.
   - Change the point style to circles.
   - Set the background color to white.
   - Add a title "Monthly Sales Trends" and customize its font and size.
   - Move the legend to the bottom of the chart.
   

Exercise 2: Customizing a Pie Chart

1. Task: Create a pie chart and customize it with the following settings:

   • Slice colors: Custom colors for each slice
   • Slice labels: Show labels with a font size of 14px
   • Donut hole: 30% size
   • Background color: Light yellow

2. Solution:

   - Add a pie chart to your report and connect it to your data source.
   - Customize each slice with a different color.
   - Enable slice labels and set the font size to 14px.
   - Adjust the donut hole size to 30%.
   - Set the background color to light yellow.
   

• Over-customization: Avoid making too many changes that can clutter the chart and make it hard to read.
• Consistency: Maintain a consistent style across all charts and tables for a cohesive look.
• Readability: Ensure that text and data labels are readable against the background colors.

Customizing charts and tables in Google Data Studio allows you to create more engaging and informative reports. By understanding and applying the various customization options, you can tailor your visualizations to better meet your needs and those of your audience. In the next section, we will explore how to add filters and interactive controls to further enhance your reports.