An essay in the techniques of innovation
I have explored some common themes for innovations in design as shown in the documents under references section. I would like to enumerate some that resonate with me a lot:
Simplicity – A jigsaw puzzle, a screw driver, a simpler user interface like Bose audio speak eloquently to their functionality by virtue of simplicity. Sometimes minimal design works well not only to highlight the purpose of the item but also to conserve what doesn’t need to be expressed.
Multi-functionality – Nothing delights a customer than offering value in terms of more than what was required from the product. A Swiss army knife is handy and sought after for this purpose. This is probably a direct opposite of the example cited above but it is as essential to design as the first one.  Japanese restrooms genuinely feel like a spaceship. Combining values into a product also delights customers.
Automation – Anything that improves convenience for a user and improves the experience is welcome to design ideas. This does not mean reducing the touchpoints with the customer but rewarding those that the customer likes and reducing the others that gets in the way or increases onus. A fidget spinner or a top is popular because it entices the player to try it again with minimal involvement.
Elegance – This comes from thinking through all the usages for the product and playing up the features that matter most in an aesthetic way. I borrow this idea from professionals who go above and beyond to realize a design. As an example, perhaps any stick would do for a door handle, but a rubbery grip would do more for the user if the door and the users remain the same.
The techniques for innovation must have a lot of textbooks and curated articles online. I found them to be exhaustive and these are merely those that I could apply.
References:
1. https://1drv.ms/w/s!Ashlm-Nw-wnWs130GlgiZX7PI1RR
2. https://1drv.ms/w/s!Ashlm-Nw-wnWsXwBts-27OY5yxqw
3. https://1drv.ms/w/s!Ashlm-Nw-wnWsXDw5eIxh5v_TSsQ

4. https://1drv.ms/w/s!Ashlm-Nw-wnWkTzXCEGrAysjDkzk

#codingexercise
Get the maximum contiguous product for short integer arrays
double maxProduct(List <int> A)
{
double max = Int_min;
if ( A == null || A.Count == 0)
    return max;
for (int I = 0; I  < A.Length ; i++)
{
   double product = A [i];
   max = Math.max (product, max);
   for ( int j = i +1; j < A.Length; j++)
   {
         product = product × A [j];
         max = Math.max (product, max);
   }
}
return max;
}