A domino is a small wood or plastic block with a single edge bearing one or more dots that resemble the dots on dice. A domino is used in a wide variety of games, both strategic and simple. The term is also a metaphor for a process that can have a positive impact if managed well. For example, building a strong foundation in your finances can have positive ripple effects throughout your life. The same can be said of creating a business plan or pursuing a career goal. These kinds of goals can be broken down into good dominoes, which are the smaller tasks that add up to your bigger goal. Identifying these dominoes can help you feel more manageable and able to achieve your goal.
Dominos are usually twice as long as they are wide, which makes them easier to re-stack after use. They are normally painted or stained with a contrasting color such as white, black or ivory, and the pips on each end are either a matching color or painted in Arabic numerals. Some sets are made of natural materials such as silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl, MOP) or bone; dark hardwoods such as ebony; or even metals such as pewter. These sets tend to be more expensive than polymer-based sets.
For the most part, dominoes are arranged on the table to form a layout that will allow the player to score points in the game. The rules of the game specify how this is done. For example, if a double is placed in the layout with its long sides touching other tiles, if those ends total a multiple of five the player is awarded that number of points. The first player to score a certain number of points wins the game.
Some people, however, go a step further with their dominoes. They create intricate, artistic displays using these little blocks. Watch this video of Hevesh, a domino artist, as she builds some incredible domino arrangements. Hevesh says that her biggest installations take several nail-biting minutes to set up, and she has to rely on the law of gravity to topple them.
She makes test versions of each section before she assembles the entire display. This allows her to correct any problems and ensure that the whole project will work properly. She then films the tests in slow motion, which makes it easy to see any issues that might arise. Hevesh’s ultimate aim is to create a large, 3-D structure that will showcase her amazing designs and demonstrate the power of the domino effect. Listening to her customers is one of the core values at Domino’s, which is an important part of what Hevesh believes in. Her efforts have been rewarded with many customer accolades, including a spot in the Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces leadership awards program.
