A method is provided that includes generating a visual environment for interactive development of a machine learning (ML) model. The method includes accessing observations of data each of which includes values of independent variables and a dependent variable, and performing an interactive exploratory data analysis (EDA) of the values of a set of the independent variables. The method includes performing a feature construction and selection based on the interactive EDA, and in which select independent variables are selected as or transformed into a set of features for use in building a ML model to predict the dependent variable. The method includes building the ML model using a ML algorithm, the set of features, and a training set produced from the set of features and observations of the data. And the method includes outputting the ML model for deployment to predict the dependent variable for additional observations of the data.