How Do You Do Domino Displays?
Domino is a game in which players lay down small square pieces, called dominoes, in a line with one end touching those at the other. They then try to win by laying down dominoes that match the values of those already on the line.
The idiom domino effect is a reference to the way that just one event can cause a chain reaction that spreads from one part of the world to another. The first example of this came from political events in Vietnam, where the leader of a rebel faction, Ngo Dinh Diem, was supported by the US and feared that Communism would overtake his region. President Eisenhower used this scenario to explain his decision to provide support to the Vietnamese government in a press conference, and his use of the phrase in turn popularized it.
Hevesh has created mind-blowing domino arrangements in her spare time since she was 9 years old, and started posting videos of her creations on YouTube when she was 10. She now works with teams that build large displays for movies, TV shows, and events like Katy Perry’s album launch, using hundreds or even thousands of dominoes in carefully-arranged lines, all toppling with the nudge of just one.
When Hevesh starts a new project, she follows a version of the engineering-design process to plan out how it will work. She begins by considering a theme or purpose for the display, and brainstorms images that might come to mind. She then calculates how many dominoes she’ll need to make the desired arrangement, and draws a diagram on paper that includes arrows indicating how they will fall.
Then she makes test versions of each section of the display and films them in slow motion, so that she can see exactly what needs to be corrected. Finally, she assembles the sections into a final installation. Some sections, such as the largest 3-D dominoes, are put up first, and then she adds flat arrangements and finally the dominoes that connect them all together.
Hevesh’s approach to business is a reflection of the company’s core values, which include Champion Our Customers. The former CEO, David Brandon, listened to the voices of employees when they spoke about the issues with the company, and Doyle has continued this practice. He’s even taken it to the next level, with a new initiative called Domino’s Innovation Garage where teams can create and test solutions that will help the company grow.