SPAM - A Process Model for Developing Smart Personal Assistants

Information technology capabilities are growing at
an impressive pace and increasingly overstrain the
cognitive abilities of users. User assistance systems
such as online manuals try to help the user in handling
these systems. However, there is strong evidence that
traditional user assistance systems are not as effective
as intended. With the rise of smart personal assistants,
such as Amazon’s Alexa, user assistance systems are
becoming more sophisticated by offering a higher
degree of interaction and intelligence. This study
proposes a process model to develop Smart Personal
Assistants. Using a design science research approach,
we first gather requirements from Smart Personal
Assistant designers and theory, and later evaluate the
process model with developing an Amazon Alexa Skill
for a Smart Home system. This paper contributes to the
existing user assistance literature by offering a new
process model on how to design Smart Personal
Assistants for intelligent systems.