This paper aims to critically examine central concepts associated with data visualisation and proposes a type of metaphor that fuses theoretical principles with practical experiences. Data visualisation can be characterised as the graphical representation of both quantitative and qualitative data, primarily to facilitate analysis and communication. Recent progress in data visualisation coincides with expanding technical capabilities to process information and to render detailed and dynamic graphics. Especially within the realms of big data, analytics, and machine learning, visualisation is often framed as a crucial interface mediating between human and computational intelligences. Data visualisations are increasingly being employed beyond the confines of science and engineering. Harnessing both the perceptual powers of the human visual system to discern patterns and the computational capacities to process large datasets, visualisations transform complex and comprehensive phenomena into graphical and thus graspable forms.