Dominoes, cousins to playing cards and dice, allow for a wide variety of games. A domino set features a series of rectangular tiles, each topped with either dots or blanks. The number of pips on each end of the tile indicates its value. The most common domino set contains 28 tiles, with each player drawing seven. The remaining tiles form a pile called the stock or boneyard. A player then begins the game by placing one of their dominoes on top of a matching pair of the stock.
When the first domino falls, its potential energy converts to kinetic energy, giving it the push it needs to knock over the next domino in line. The energy continues traveling from domino to domino until the last domino topples.
The idea of a chain reaction, or domino effect, is what makes the game of domino so compelling. Whether the dominoes are a set of plastic pieces or concrete blocks, it’s fascinating to watch how each one affects its neighbor. In a similar way, writers often refer to the idea of plot points as dominoes.
Domino’s CEO Peter Doyle knows that if the company wants to maintain its status as a dominant pizza maker, it has to think outside the box. He aims to do just that by bringing innovation to the business. For example, Domino’s has a new delivery car that it calls the DXP—a colorful and cool-looking Dodge Spark with room for 80 pizzas. Doyle also believes in embracing technology, and half of Domino’s employees work in software analytics.
Creating a mind-blowing domino setup can be challenging, but Hevesh has a process that works for her. She starts with a theme or purpose, then brainstorms images and words that might match it. Once she has a clear idea, she can begin to plan the layout and how the dominoes will fall. When she’s done, she creates a prototype to test the layout and make any necessary changes.
As the prototype becomes more detailed, Hevesh adds more dominoes to the design. This is how she creates her massive displays, which can take several nail-biting minutes to complete. The most intricate domino sets involve millions of tiles. Hevesh has even worked with celebrities to create domino sets for them.
Hevesh’s process of designing a domino layout is a bit like an engineering-design process. As she plans her projects, Hevesh takes into account the materials she has to work with, including the amount of time she has available to build them. She also keeps in mind the size of her workspace and the maximum size that she can fit on it.
Hevesh’s goal is to create domino installations that are as beautiful as they are impressive. And when she’s finished, the result is always spectacular. But before she knocks over the final domino, it takes her a long time to get it just right. Thousands of dominoes stand right where she placed them, unmoving by any force that is not pushing or pulling on them. Until that final domino has its moment of inertia and tips over, much like an earthquake or a rocket launch.