About

Hi, I'm Arthur 👋

I'm Arthur Griffiths, an indie developer based in Bordeaux, France, and I have migraines.

I built Mellow because I needed this app for myself.

My story with migraine

I had my first migraine at 21. Today, I get one once a week on average.

I have migraine without aura. The pain builds up gradually, on one side of my head, until it becomes throbbing and disabling. With it come the nausea, the light sensitivity and sound sensitivity. It takes out a whole day. Sometimes more.

If you're reading this, you probably already know what that feels like. That sensation where you know it's coming, but you can't really stop it. That frustration of having to cancel things, having to retreat into the dark, feeling out of the game for hours.

Why this app

According to the WHO, migraine is the 2nd most disabling condition in the world for people under 50.

And yet, we keep treating it like a simple headache. "Drink some water, take a Tylenol, you'll be fine." As if it's all in your head. As if you're exaggerating.

I looked for tools to better understand my own attacks. Identify my triggers. See what works, what doesn't. Have concrete data to bring to my doctor.

What I found frustrated me. Apps so complex they take 5 minutes to log an attack when your skull is already pounding. Designs straight out of 2010. High prices or aggressive paywalls on basic features. Apps that feel like medical records, not like a daily companion.

So I decided to build one myself. An app made by someone with migraines, not by a marketing committee.

What I care about in Mellow

Simple UX. Logging an attack takes a few seconds. No endless forms. No friction. When your head is pounding, you don't want to fight an interface.

Thoughtful design. I believe a tool you use to manage a chronic condition should feel good to use. Not anxiety-inducing. Not clinical. Just calming. That's where the name Mellow comes from.

Accessible pricing. Mellow has a generous free tier, and a Premium plan at a deliberately low price for those who want to go deeper (detailed analytics, personalized statistics, weather data, and more). No inflated prices.

Sourced content. Every article on the Mellow blog is written from recognized medical sources. WHO, Mayo Clinic, NHS, American Migraine Foundation, Migraine Trust, and more. No unverified "miracle cures." No health misinformation.

Never selling your data. Mellow will never sell your health data. That's a hard line.

What Mellow is not

Mellow is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have frequent or severe migraines, talk to a neurologist or your doctor. Mellow is a companion that helps you better understand your attacks and have richer conversations with the professionals taking care of you.

What's next

Mellow is still young. I'm building it solo, at my own pace, listening to the migraine community using it.

If you use Mellow and want to share an idea, a bug, or just say hi, you can reach me at contact.mellow@proton.me.

Thanks for being here. And take care of yourself.

Arthur