Where is the User in the Design

Creation and delivery of help content was what was on my mind as I sat crocheting a tiny coin purse for my mother.  She has a very cute, 3-inch, pot-bellied leather purse that she uses to keep her loose change in but it's coming apart at the seams, hence I sat there, crocheting this:

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And, have we not often come across something like this:

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[Note: Thanks for catching the misplaced apostrophe. Feeling too lazy to edit the pic.]

I am picturing a scenario with me and my mom:

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Creating and delivering help content is very similar to creating any other product.  So, I ask myself, Where, How, and When is my reader going to need this information.  If I can answer these three questions, the content I create will truly be User Assistance.