Domino is a tile game where the goal is to build chains of dominoes that end up on top of each other. Each domino has a single identifying mark, called a pip, on one side and is blank or identically patterned on the other side. The value of a domino is indicated by its pip arrangement: A domino with more pips has higher rank than a domino with fewer pips. Each domino is normally twice as long as it is wide.
The most common domino set is made from plastic or another durable polymer material. Other materials are also used, including bone (often silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell or mother of pearl), ivory, and dark hardwoods such as ebony. The pips are typically inlaid or painted. Some sets have a split-thickness, with the upper half in MOP or ivory and the lower in ebony; some also use contrasting black or white pips.
A domino set may have as few as 28 tiles or as many as 91. Players can play a variety of games with these tiles. Some are positional games, where the player puts a domino edge-to-edge against an adjacent domino to form some specified total, while others are pattern-based, where each player moves their pieces according to certain rules in order to create a specific pattern.
When a domino falls, it transforms much of its potential energy into kinetic energy, which provides the push needed to knock over the next domino. This continues, domino by domino, until all of the dominoes have transformed their potential energy into kinetic energy and fallen.
Some of the most popular domino games are matching and counting. Each turn, the players draw a domino from the stock, or boneyard, and then place it with its open end facing one of the other dominoes. The other dominoes are then moved to the open end of the drawn tile. This layout is known as the string or line of play. The first domino to fall is then determined, and the other tiles are played as directed by the game’s rules.
Hevesh, who has created some of the most mind-blowing domino creations ever seen, follows a version of the engineering-design process when designing an installation. She starts by considering the theme or purpose of the display and brainstorming images or words that could be associated with it. Then, she tests a small section of the arrangement, which she often films in slow motion.
Domino’s CEO Don Meij, who stars in the show Undercover Boss, is also known for promoting Domino’s core values and taking action to ensure Domino’s customers are satisfied. Meij was sent to work in one of Domino’s delivery services and saw that the company was not meeting the needs of its employees or customers, which prompted him to implement new changes quickly. This included a relaxed dress code, leadership training, and a college recruiting system. These new initiatives paid off and helped Domino’s win a Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces award.