Userinformed

Userinformed is a term used to describe practices, systems, or data that are shaped by information provided directly by users. It emphasizes that user input serves as a primary source of context for decisions, recommendations, or actions taken by a product, service, or algorithm. The term functions as an umbrella descriptor rather than a standardized technical specification, and it is found in design discussions, research papers, and product documentation where user-provided context is central.

Origin and scope: Userinformed appears as a portmanteau of "user" and "informed," signaling that systems operate with awareness of the user’s stated preferences, constraints, and feedback. It is not tied to a single governing body or framework, and its usage varies across disciplines such as user experience design, data governance, and adaptive systems.

Applications: In user interface design, userinformed approaches adapt to explicit preferences and feedback, potentially with user consent guiding personalization. In data practices, a userinformed stance emphasizes transparent collection and use of data that reflects user-provided rationales or permissions. In artificial intelligence, models described as userinformed may incorporate goals, constraints, or feedback supplied by users to steer behavior or recommendations.

Limitations: The concept depends on accurate and representative user input, which can be incomplete or biased. There are also privacy and consent considerations, since collecting and using user-provided information necessitates clear disclosure and protection of personal data.

See also: informed consent, user-centered design, privacy by design, explainable AI.