Journey overview

Core Learning Journey

This is a 9-session + 9-lab curriculum that takes you from zero to building a complete measurement plan. Each session is 1-2 hours of reading. Each lab is 1-2 hours of hands-on practice.

The structure

Sessions teach concepts and decision-making. Labs apply them to real scenarios.

Session 1-3: Data foundation

• S1: Platform overview and the hit model
• S2: Dimensions, metrics and what a report is
• S3: Props and eVars

Session 4-5: Variable design

• S4: Expiry, allocation and persistence
• S5: Events, serialization and instances

Session 6-7: Architecture and planning

• S6: Report suites and virtual report suites
• S7: From business requirement to measurement plan

Session 8-9: Implementation and analysis

• S8: Writing the SDR and the data layer contract
• S9: Analysis Workspace and answering the question

Estimated time

• Sessions: 12-15 hours (read at your pace)
• Labs: 9-12 hours (hands-on implementation)
• Total: 20-27 hours to full competency

Prerequisites

You should have:

• Access to a report suite (test/dev preferred, not production)
• Basic understanding of HTML/JavaScript (or a developer to pair with)
• Access to Analysis Workspace
• Willingness to get your hands dirty

How labs work

Each lab builds on the previous. You'll build up Example Super's complete measurement:

• Lab 1: Understand the Example Super site structure
• Lab 2: Classify what's a dimension vs metric
• Lab 3: Design variables for site search
• Lab 4: Choose eVar settings for tracking
• Lab 5: Plan events for form submissions
• Lab 6: Architect a virtual report suite
• Lab 7: Write your first measurement plan
• Lab 8: Write the Solution Design Reference
• Lab 9: Build the reporting project in Workspace

By the end, you'll have:

• A complete measurement plan for a real site
• Working SDR (Solution Design Reference)
• Data layer contract
• Reporting project in Analysis Workspace

Self-paced vs instructor-led

Self-paced

Read a session, do the lab on your own schedule. Flexibility but no outside perspective.

Instructor-led (classroom)

Group goes through sessions together. Instructor guides labs. Better for learning together and asking questions.

Either way works. Pick what fits your situation.

Skipping around

Don't. Labs build on each other. If you skip S3 (Props and eVars), Lab 3 won't make sense. Read in order.

If you already know a topic (e.g., "I know segments already"), skim the session for refresher, then jump to the lab.

The running example

Every session uses Example Super, a fictional Australian superannuation fund. Your labs build Example Super's analytics from scratch:

• Site: example-super.com.au
• Key pages: Home, member portal, site search overlay, complaint form
• Tracking: Page views, searches, form submissions, member logins
• Goal: Measure member engagement and satisfaction

Map Example Super to your business as you go. If you run e-commerce, replace "complaint form" with "checkout." If you run SaaS, replace "site search" with "feature usage."

What you'll become

After this journey, you can:

• Explain why you chose props vs eVars (with the decision tree)
• Write a complete measurement plan
• Design a data layer in JavaScript
• Debug why data is wrong or missing
• Build reporting projects that answer business questions

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Ready? Start with S1 · Platform overview and the hit model.