installationbased

Installationbased is an adjective used in multiple disciplines to describe approaches, works, or systems in which the installation step, the configured environment, or the physical site is central to how the object functions or communicates its meaning. The term is not tied to a single discipline, but is common in discussions of software deployment and site-specific art.

In software engineering, installationbased design emphasizes delivering software primarily through an installer that configures the host system, registers components, and stores data locally. This model favors reproducibility and offline use and is common with desktop applications and complex enterprise software, but can complicate updates and cross-platform support.

In the arts and media, installation-based works are site-specific installations that rely on a venue, props, and technical equipment to unfold. The installation process—including placement, calibration, and interactivity setup—is integral to the artwork rather than a peripheral prelude.

In other domains, the term may refer to any project that culminates in a physical or configured installation, as opposed to a standalone artifact or portable product.

The term is informal and its meaning varies by context; it is most often encountered in project briefs, academic discussions, and curatorial notes.