Visual exploration is dealing with open-ended data-driven visualizations that needs experts like Data Scientists, and Business Intelligence analysts. Although new tools have begun to engage general managers in visual exploration. It’s exciting to try, because it often produces insights that can’t be gleaned any other way.
During this exploration we don’t know what we are looking for, these visuals tend to plot data more inclusively. In extreme cases, this kind of project may combine multiple data sets or load dynamic, real-time data into a system that updates automatically. Statistical modeling benefits from visual exploration.
Exploration also lends itself to interactivity: Managers can adjust parameters, inject new data sources, and continually revisualizes. Complex data sometimes also suits specialized and unusual visualization, such as force-directed diagrams that show how networks cluster, or topographical plots.
Skills like analytical, programming, data management, and business intelligence are more crucial than the ability to create more presentable charts .These skills are crucial for managers to help setup systems to wrangle data and create visualizations that fit their analytic goals, and therefore it mostly needs experts to create visualizations.
Source: https://hbr.org/2016/06/visualizations-that-really-work
I agree! I have always felt from our class that Visualization is the second step, first step is data analysis in most of the cases.