Domino is a small rectangular block of wood or plastic that is either blank or bears from one to six dots, resembling the markings on dice. It forms the basis of a wide variety of games. Also known as bones, men, pieces, or tiles, dominoes can be arranged into straight and curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, stacked walls, and 3D structures such as pyramids and towers. A game may be won by being the first to put all the pieces in place, or by placing them so that their ends match up to a value given by the number of pips on one or both sides of a domino.
Lily Hevesh fell in love with dominoes when she was 9. She started by playing with her grandparents’ classic 28-piece set, and later grew to post videos of her creations on YouTube. Now 20, she’s a professional domino artist, creating stunning setups for movies, TV shows, and events.
Hevesh says that a big part of her success is due to her team. She works with a group of three to five other artists, all who have specialized in their own areas. The team creates a concept for an installation and then breaks it down into sections that can be worked on independently. Oftentimes, she will create a test version of each section before working on the whole piece.
As for how she sets up her arrangements, Hevesh has a few rules that she follows. First, she makes sure the largest 3-D sections work properly. Once they do, she begins adding flat arrangements and finally putting the curved lines in place. Each line is carefully planned so that the pieces can fall exactly as they’re supposed to—which means it takes quite a bit of preparation!
In terms of how the company is evolving, Domino’s has a team dedicated to developing new technology. It has changed the way customers order (by app, directly through Twitter, or even by texting a domino emoji); how they track their pizza’s progress; and how employees communicate with each other.
In the future, Hevesh hopes to see Domino’s expand beyond pizza. They are currently testing delivery vehicles, as well as exploring drones for future use. Ultimately, she wants to help make pizza-delivery as efficient and affordable as possible—even for those who can’t afford full-time delivery drivers. She also wants to see the company continue to innovate in ways that will keep customers happy, and bring new people to its restaurants. It’s a goal that would have sounded impossible just a few years ago, but the domino effect is clearly in motion.