Inspiration
Accounting concepts can be difficult to understand through definitions and formulas alone. The idea behind Bayan (بيان) was to turn these abstract concepts into visual experiments: change a number, see what happens, and understand why.
The project also addresses a language barrier by supporting both Arabic and English, helping learners understand concepts in their preferred language while becoming familiar with accounting terminology.
What it does
Bayan is an interactive educational website covering 35 accounting concepts across six sections: foundations, the accounting cycle, financial statements, assets and inventory, cost and management accounting, and financial analysis.
Each lesson combines an explanation, a relevant illustration, an interactive simulation, and a short understanding check.
Learners can explore how transactions affect the accounting equation, distinguish profit from cash, compare depreciation methods, reconcile bank balances, calculate break-even points, and evaluate simplified business decisions.
The website includes three learning paths, concept search, and progress saved in the learner’s browser. Arabic lessons display formulas in both Arabic and English.
How we built it
Bayan was built using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SVG illustrations.
ChatGPT/Codex supported the development process, helping translate the initial idea into a working website, develop bilingual explanations, implement interactive calculations, and refine the interface through feedback.
AI-assisted iteration helped address practical issues such as Arabic equation order, mobile layouts, navigation, and the distinction between different account types.
The simulations use explicit JavaScript calculations rather than generating numerical answers with AI. This makes their results reproducible and allows the underlying logic to be checked.
The website runs in the browser and is packaged for static hosting through GitHub Pages.
Challenges we ran into
A major challenge was simplifying accounting without introducing misleading rules. For example, a debit does not always increase an account, cash received is not always earned revenue, and an account correction depends on the original error.
Supporting Arabic and English required attention to reading direction, formula layout, numerical inputs, and conventional debit-credit positioning.
Another challenge was keeping the experience usable on smaller screens while displaying diagrams, controls, and financial results clearly.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Developed 35 lessons with 28 interactive experiment types.
- Added bilingual explanations and right-to-left Arabic support.
- Created concept-specific illustrations and connected learning paths.
- Checked simulation outputs across 210 language and boundary-case combinations.
- Added calculation checks for bank reconciliation, depreciation, linked statements, activity-based costing, and net present value.
- Turned an initial idea into a working educational website through AI-assisted development and repeated refinement.
What we learned
Effective visual learning requires more than displaying a chart. Learners need to understand which input changed, how it affected the result, and why that relationship matters.
AI can accelerate development, but its suggestions still need review. Accounting explanations require careful wording, and calculations need explicit assumptions and independent checks.
The project also demonstrated that bilingual design involves more than translation: layout, navigation, and mathematical presentation must work together.
What's next for Bayan
Future improvements include more practice scenarios, broader usability testing, and optional accounts to synchronize progress across devices.
Another direction is adding clearly labeled comparisons between accounting frameworks and expanding the Arabic terminology.
The current content teaches general accounting principles, using OpenStax as a learning reference. Future framework-specific lessons would require additional review before being presented as aligned with IFRS or local requirements.
