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Data Visualization is what is says, presenting data or information in a visual format that is not just lists of data or lines of text. Data visualization uses graphs, charts, maps, images to tell a story. This story can be informative or analytic. An infographic is an informative data visualization, think about an annual report or the safety poster on the notice board. An example of an analytic visualization is a dashboard or a interactive map.

When the term Data Visualization is used the idea is that data is not just presented as a collection of charts but is presented in a way that is visually pleasing, easy on the audience and a consistent  interpretation is possible by following the flow of relevant information. Data visualization uses form and colour to highlight important data and minimize the distraction of relevant but less important data. The arrangement of images and text is important. 

Think about the last poster session you went to at a conference. Which presentations were the most interesting? Probably not the ones with lots of small print text and tiny monocoloured graphs, but the ones with great images, big fonts, and colour. And the presenter told a great story about the project.