Data visualization is the representation of data through visual forms such as charts, graphs, maps, and interactive dashboards so that patterns, relationships, trends, and outliers can be understood more easily. It converts numerical or categorical information into visual elements whose position, size, shape, or color communicates differences that may be difficult to recognize in raw tables.
For example, a business can use a line chart to reveal changes in sales over time or a geographic map to identify where customers are concentrated. Effective visualization depends on choosing a visual format that matches the nature of the data and the question being investigated. Related concepts include data analytics, business intelligence, dashboards, data storytelling, and exploratory data analysis.
