Overview

Spoonie Day is a mobile application released in May 2020 designed specifically for people with chronic illnesses. It helps users track and manage their daily energy levels using “Spoon Theory” – a popular metaphor in the chronic illness community where “spoons” represent units of energy available throughout the day.

The Problem

People with chronic illnesses need to carefully manage their limited energy reserves. Without proper tracking tools, it’s difficult to plan activities, communicate limitations to others, and understand patterns in their condition.

The Solution

A cross-platform mobile application that provides comprehensive energy tracking, mood monitoring, and insights specifically designed for the chronic illness community. The app uses the familiar “spoon” metaphor to help users visualize and manage their energy levels.

“I developed this application so that those with chronic illness would have a resource to help manage their energy reserves and have a universal lexicon to describe their situation”

— Julie Blackburn, Chief Data Science Officer, Blackburn Labs

Key Features

Spoonie Day offers a comprehensive suite of tools tailored for chronic illness management:

• Energy Tracking: Log daily spoon levels and track how activities affect energy
• Activity Journaling: Document daily activities and their energy costs
• Mood Monitoring: Track emotional well-being alongside physical energy
• Pattern Recognition: AI-powered insights engine identifies trends
• Community Connection: Share experiences and connect with other spoonies
• Planning Tools: Calendar and calculator for managing future activities
• Educational Resources: Learn about energy management strategies

Impact

With over 12,000 users across 100+ countries and more than 350,000 activities logged, Spoonie Day has become an essential tool for the chronic illness community. The app has even been used in international research studies for long-term Covid-19 sufferers and was featured at the Venture Cafe.

User Testimonials

“WOW! Amazing!! So easy to track and manage myself, my energy, etc!! Love, love, love this app!!”

“Great Way to keep track and engage with the challenges of chronic illness.”

“Awesome, Awesome, Awesome – this is the best app! THANK YOU”

Technical Implementation

Built using modern web technologies (ReactJS, NodeJS, MongoDB) and wrapped with Cordova for native mobile deployment, the app features a robust backend on Parse Platform with REST APIs, comprehensive testing with Jasmine and Sonar, and a polished UI built with Material-UI and Proem-UI components.