Forx - An app concept for healthy nutrition at Ergosign

Trainee support for a corporate health management project

There are many cooking apps, but you probably haven't heard of Forx yet! While currently in the conceptual phase, this new recipe app promises a lot of fun and support for healthy nutrition of the Ergosign team. Laura Gül (Communication Manager) chatted with Rawad Malahafji (Trainee for Media Design) and Aline Tasch (People & Talent Administrator) what Forx is all about in an interview. 

Laura: Rawad, you designed and developed the app concept for Forx, as part of your training while Aline initiated this project. What does Forx stand for, and what is it about?

Rawad: The name of the app, Forx, is a combination of two terms – firstly, the English term "Forks" for forks, and secondly, an "X" for Experience, creating the company-specific reference to Ergosign. Forx is a Figma prototype for an app that Ergosign employees can use. Through Forx, everyone can access our digital recipes and they can create their own recipe suggestions for the prototype. The focus is on healthy eating. With Forx, everyone can prepare delicious healthy meals for everyday life or lunch breaks — in our kitchens together or at home. The recipes are suitable for both beginners and advanced cooks. After selecting a dish in the overview, the recipe guides you step by step with instructions and illustrations through the preparation.

Laura: Where did the idea for Forx come from?

Aline: As part of our corporate health management, we hosted a small in-house event in March 2023. We collaborated with our health insurance - „Techniker Krankenkasse“ - to organize a Cook&Learn in Saarbrücken. This day revolved around "Healthy Eating" and "Meal Prep for the Workplace“. We started with a theoretical part that introduced participants to the relevance of macronutrients. Everyone highly appreciated the exchange. Then, everyone headed to our kitchen to get some hands-on experience, where we prepared the previously discussed dishes together. This allowed individuals to showcase their cooking skills.

Since the event only took place at the Saarbrücken location, not all employees from our seven sites could benefit from it. It was important for us to change that and give all locations the opportunity to profit from this event. Naturally, we decided to digitalize the Cook&Learn. Initially, I had the idea to provide the dishes as recipe cards in our intranet. As our trainee in media design, Rawad supported me to ensure the recipe cards corresponded with our design guidelines. She suggested a digital, interactive prototype instead of recipe cards. I was immediately excited – after all, Ergosign is a digital agency, and that's how Forx was born.

Laura: Who was involved in this project, and what were the responsibilities of the team members?

Rawad: Aline was the project owner of Forx. We had regular meetings to discuss the project status. My task was to create the concept and bring it to reality. My mentor and team manager assisted me throughout the entire process to achieve this goal. Throughout the project, feedback sessions with others as well as an icon review led to an even more refined result. 

Laura: What is the goal of Forx, and how do employees benefit from it?

Aline: Since Forx is part of our corporate health management, the primary goal is to ensure that all locations can benefit from the initial on-site event and thus strengthen awareness of healthy eating. Corporate health is generally a significant area in our company. It is crucial for us to continuously promote both the physical and mental health of our employees. Nutrition plays a key role in this context so we aim to create an additional benefit with Forx.

Rawad: Another important aspect of Forx, for me, is community. My goal is to inspire healthy eating for Ergosign employees and to strengthen the sense of community – whether by cooking as a team or enjoying a nutritious meal during lunch.

Laura: What support and freedom do apprentices at Ergosign receive during such a project?

Rawad: Throughout the project, I consistently felt the perfect balance of freedom, autonomy, and support. Creating an entire app concept from scratch for the first time has been a considerable challenge, and I wanted to achieve the perfect result.

In designing the prototype, I had a lot of freedom and could implement my ideas, for example, using AI in creating illustrations for the preparation section. My mentor and team manager were always there to provide guidance and regularly shared their ideas on design concepts and animation with me. Although it was a challenging project, I had a lot of fun with the implementation due to the fantastic support and the generally relaxed atmosphere at Ergosign. In summary, I can say that the project work taught me many important things for both my job and school, including patience, time management, and how to incorporate and implement feedback into a project.

Rawad presented her project at the end of February during a Lunch&Learn. The internal feedback was consistently positive. We are excited about the future of Forx and look forward to many new recipes. If you now feel inspired to cook, here's our favorite dish: