Incite Insight

Inspiration

We've all been there - end of the month, checking your bank account, wondering where all your money went. Looking at a CSV export from your bank is like reading the Matrix. Most budgeting apps are either too complicated or too simple to be useful.

We wanted something in the sweet spot: easy enough to actually use, powerful enough to give real insights. For college students managing money independently for the first time, this matters. A $13 coffee habit doesn't seem like much until you see it's $400/month.

What it does

Upload your bank CSV (Date, Category, Amount), enter your monthly income, and get instant insights. Our backend processes your data and returns a clean dashboard with:

Pie chart showing spending by category
Monthly trend charts comparing spending vs budget
Progress bars for each category
Recent transaction list with color-coded categories

Modern dark-mode UI with glassmorphism effects. Everything is interactive, responsive, and designed to help you understand spending patterns at a glance.

How we built it

Frontend: React, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui, Recharts, lucide-react icons

Data flow: CSV upload → client-side preview → API processes data → JSON response → sessionStorage → visualizations

We used Tailwind for rapid styling, shadcn/ui for components, and Recharts for interactive charts. SessionStorage handles data persistence between pages. The dark mode aesthetic with blue-cyan gradients keeps everything cohesive.

Challenges we ran into

CSV parsing was trickier than expected - different banks format exports differently. Recharts had a learning curve for getting tooltips and responsive sizing right. SessionStorage's 5-10MB limit meant we could only store processed JSON, not raw CSVs.

Biggest challenge was time. We cut features like budget recommendations and spending alerts to focus on a solid core experience rather than half-baked features everywhere.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The UI feels cohesive - color scheme, glassmorphism, spacing all work together. API integration is smooth with helpful loading states. Transaction cards are clean and scannable. Everything is responsive without feeling like a compromise.

We shipped a functional product we'd actually use, which feels like the real win.

What we learned

Got comfortable with Recharts and learned that good data visualization is about instant understanding, not just aesthetics. Shadcn/ui is a game-changer - we're using it in future projects.

Learned sessionStorage isn't a database replacement and that project scoping is crucial. Starting with a tighter MVP and iterating beats building half-finished features.

What's next for Incite Insight

Near-term: Real bank API integration (Plaid), smart budget recommendations, spending alerts, better category management

Long-term: Mobile app, multi-month tracking, year-over-year comparisons, data export (PDF/CSV)

The core is solid. With polish and key features, this could actually help people manage finances without feeling like homework. We'd use it ourselves.