Software Architecture Design for Health BCSS: Case Onnikka

Behavior change support systems (BCSS) are a specific type of persuasive systems. They demand longer time spans and a very tight coupling with individual users’ multiple real-life contexts. However, in most cases research into these systems has described technical artifacts at such a general level that important implementation details such as the software architecture have been ignored. In this paper, we will present a software architecture design for a full-fledged BCSS. The architectural style suggested defines a layered architecture and its key system components. The architecture has been implemented in a real-life BCSS for supporting weight loss and maintenance in order to prevent health problems such as metabolic syndrome. The system development process and the selection of implemented persuasive features was carried out by utilizing the persuasive systems design model. The lessons learned and the architecture presented in this paper can be used in further software engineering research regarding persuasive and behavior change support systems.