One of the biggest technology challenges of this decade is how to gain insight from seemingly unwieldy data collections. Often times the best method of enabling insight is the visualization of data. While the Visualization API does not modify data source values, it is capable of creating new elements from existing data. The visualization of both original and new data side-by-side, which is possible with the Visualization API, is a notable advantage. Another strength on which data analysts can capitalize is that the Visualization API includes both ready-to-use data source options as well as the necessary tools to retrofit your own data source.

Increasing the depth of data exploration through visualization also increases the need for interactive tools. The capability to filter data views on the fly also is a proven method of discovery that was not possible with static representations. The next chapter focuses on the interactive capabilities of the Visualization API through the use of the Dashboard option, viewing controls, and event triggers.