Dominoes are small, flat blocks of rigid material, typically wood or plastic, that are used as a game. They may be arranged in a straight or curved line and triggered to fall by the action of a single domino, or multiple ones, positioned in advance. They’re also often stacked to form shapes such as towers and pyramids. The tops of dominoes have identifying marks, called pips, and the bottoms are blank or patterned the same as those on a die. The pips indicate the value of each domino when playing with different rules.
When Hevesh is creating one of her mind-blowing domino creations, she follows a version of the engineering-design process, starting with a theme or purpose for the installation. Then she brainstorms images or words that might represent those ideas. She tries to figure out how many dominoes she will need and then creates a diagram of the track that will enable her to make it happen.
Once she’s done the diagram, she can begin to lay down dominoes. The first domino must be a double, meaning that it has matching ends and can only be played so that it connects to a previous domino with two matching sides touching. A chain of dominoes forms that gradually increases in length. If a player cannot play a domino and doesn’t have another from their train, they must draw a new tile from the boneyard.
The earliest known domino was made by the Chinese in 283 A.D., but they weren’t used to play games like dominoes until later in history. The modern, rectangular versions of the game were developed in Europe during the 1700s. They became wildly popular and were eventually adopted by the U.S. In the 1800s, Americans invented a number of new ways to play with dominoes, including games that involved moving pieces around and 3D structures such as towers.
Despite Domino’s troubles in recent years, the company has continued to thrive. This is due to a lot of factors, including improved pizza and a robust digital presence. But a key element has been sticking close to one of the company’s core values: Champion Our Customers.
This means listening to customer feedback and then putting changes into action quickly. The company has also embraced its offbeat side. A few years ago, Domino’s partnered with crowd-sourced auto designers to create a colorful and cool-looking Domino’s delivery car. This “cheese lover’s Batmobile” was a huge hit on social media and helped to generate buzz for the brand. This offbeat approach has helped Domino’s stand out from the competition and become an internationally recognized brand. And, of course, it’s helped the pizza company to grow into one of the world’s largest chains.