E-coaching systems have proven to be a highly valuable asset to promote
healthier lifestyles. However, the design of these systems is intrinsically
complex, not only because of the diversity of knowledge that is required to
conceive them, but also because their effectiveness is context-dependent, and
therefore, dynamic and difficult to predict. Acknowledging that there is not a
'silver bullet' to address the design of these systems, this article proposes a
loosely-coupled architecture to support the modeling of e-coaching solutions.
This architecture decouples the system structure from its behavior, thus
reducing design complexity and enhancing the flexibility that is required to
perform the e-coaching process. The suitability of this proposal is illustrated
through the design of an e-coaching system conceived to reduce the social
isolation of elderly people.