Domino’s is the largest pizza chain in the world, with over 12,000 stores. They have also been one of the first to embrace digital ordering, mobile payments and new delivery methods. Recently, they have begun integrating with Apple CarPlay in an effort to capitalize on the rising trend of connected cars. This new feature is another example of how Domino’s is using technology to remain competitive in a fast-paced market.
Domino’s success was built on the back of a strong foundation of leadership and innovation. But in 2009, the company faced a challenge that nearly put them out of business. A leadership change, a costly lawsuit and falling sales left Domino’s in serious danger of disappearing. The company had to do something drastic to save itself, and that something was to change its culture.
The domino effect refers to a chain reaction that starts when one thing knocks over another thing. This is a common idea that’s often used in movies and stories to show how small actions can lead to large outcomes. Domino’s strategy was to highlight these “domino actions.” These were single actions that triggered a sequence of other activities. They could be as simple as tipping over a single domino to start the chain reaction. But they could also be much more complicated, like the Domino’s design contest that asked people to create the ultimate domino art.
Hevesh started playing with dominoes as a kid, and she still enjoys them today. She’s created a lot of different designs, from straight or curved lines to grids that form pictures, stacked walls and 3D structures like pyramids. Each display is meticulously planned out on paper before Hevesh starts setting them up. She tests each section individually before she adds them to the larger whole. She even films these test runs so she can watch them in slow motion.
As she sets up a new display, Hevesh uses her knowledge of the forces that affect how dominoes fall to plan out the best way to build it. The biggest 3-D sections go up first, followed by the flat arrangements. Hevesh then connects all the sections together with a line of smaller dominoes. Her process reflects the way she approaches all her work — breaking big goals down into smaller steps, then tackling those one by one.
Despite their size, dominoes have potential energy. It takes a lot of force to push them over, but if you can get that first domino past its tipping point, it will release all that energy in the form of motion. This is why it’s important to know the rules of dominos before trying to make your own creations.
When writing, the domino effect can help you shape a scene and understand how its elements will unfold. But you have to be careful not to overuse it or you’ll risk causing the story to feel illogical. This can happen if you have characters do things that are outside of societal norms or that run counter to common sense. In these cases, you need to provide motivation or reason for the character to do what they’re doing. This logic will give readers permission to continue liking the protagonist or to keep believing in their goodness, so they can stay on track with your story’s logical flow.