7DOTS / Enterprise
Frameworks & Tools

Summary

Some projects are about solving problems. Others are about solving how problems get solved. This was one of later.

Role

• Design Generalist
• Senior Product Designer

Skills

• System Design
• Strategic Thinking
• Facilitation

Tools

• Miro
• FigJam
• Figma
The Challenge
In many large enterprises, complexity isn’t just a bug—it’s practically a feature. Think endless meetings, strategies that rarely line up, and executives nodding like bobbleheads while quietly trying to make sense of it all. Attempting a digital transformation in this kind of environment? That’s a serious undertaking.

Now, picture trying to get dozens of teams [each with its own P&L, roadmap, and territorial battles] to move in the same direction. It’s like herding cats, except these cats are also busy making PowerPoint decks and fighting for their share of the budget.

I was initially hired as a UX/UI specialist to create UI assets and patterns. However, once inside, it became clear the challenge wasn’t just about interfaces—it was about the foundation. The internal product team struggled to get other functions on board with the transformation.

What was missing was the frameworks and tools to help them have productive conversations, make decisions, and collaborate.
Enter 7Dots
In a market crowded with big promises and even bigger let-downs, 7Dots is the rare outfit that delivers. Their eclectic crew—strategists, creatives, technologists, and data scientists—doesn’t just churn out slides; they commit to making real change happen.
They understood that before their client could execute a grand vision, they needed solid strategies and a structured way to think, experiment, and realign as necessary.
Because let’s be honest: on a project this size, you don’t just need a plan—you need true believers. You need people who see foundational work not as a footnote but as the cornerstone of long-term success.

That’s precisely what 7Dots brings to the table. They’re welcoming, professional, and genuinely invested in the outcome. Even when we didn’t wholly agree, every discussion stayed grounded in trust and respect, the kind of camaraderie that makes great work possible.
Frameworks & Tools.
While the name of the end client and specifics remain under NDA, here’s the crux: my job was to build custom frameworks and tools to guide this enterprise through its upcoming transformation. Stakeholder alignment, iterative roadmapping, cross-functional collaboration—each piece is custom-crafted to give product and design teams a genuine seat at the table.

Below is a snapshot of these tools. They foster real conversations, tear down silos, and keep everyone anchored to the bigger picture. And we didn’t just conjure them up. They’re rooted in proven principles from organisations like Apple, Volvo, and Netflix—tailored to tackle the client’s unique challenges.

These frameworks aren’t just pretty slides; they’re daily drivers for collaboration and decision-making, ensuring transformation isn’t just another corporate buzzword.
Product Development Framework
Some teams build, while others argue about why they’re building. This framework ensured that everyone solved the right problem in the right way.
It sets clear checkpoints: What’s the context? Is the problem articulated? Do we have a solution? How do we turn the solution into a successful product? Does everyone agree on the value delivered by each feature? Can we focus the customer on the benefits delivered by what we consider valuable?
Product Levels Framework
People don’t buy “features”—they buy solutions other than their problems. This framework broke the product down into three layers:
• Core: What's the value/benefit delivered by your solution/product?
• Actual: How's that delivered? Through an App, a service? In person?
• Augmented: The extra stuff customers care about, the ecosystem.

Every product has these levels, from a banking app to a sneaker brand to a presidential candidate. 
Relationship Map
Who uses what? Who interacts with whom? How do products, customers, organisations and markets connect?
This is a visual map of relationships—users, products, organisations, and customer segments—all in one place. Instead of teams designing in silos or making assumptions, they could see the connections, the dependencies, and the real impact of their decisions. By mapping these elements, teams could build solutions that scale, adapt, and meet real-world needs.
Desired User Behaviour
User behaviour shouldn't be random within a system. They should be able to rely on predictable patterns. This is why their behaviour is shaped by what we design as a solution, what we prioritise based on their needs, and what we reward so they form healthy relationships with the product/service and build trust.

This framework laid the principles and sequence of how we wanted users to engage, learn, make educated decisions, get help and recover from mistakes. 
Interaction Model
Inconsistency is the fastest way to lose users. Confusing menus, unpredictable layouts, and mismatched experiences create frustration and erode trust.

This framework set the rules for how users navigate, interact, and engage, ensuring that every product felt cohesive, predictable, and intuitive. Rooted in the Desired User Behavior Framework, it linked multiple frameworks together, reinforcing a solid foundation in which principles drive design, not guesswork.
Working with Data
Data might be the new oil, but it’s only valuable if people can use it.
This framework gave product owners and designers a better way of discussing where the data comes from, how it’s processed, and what should be incorporated into the UI.
The real payoff? Everyone involved understands what ‘data’ means before putting it before the customer.

The result? Cleaner interfaces, sharper decisions, and far less noise for end users.
End-to-end Process
The frameworks and tools in this playbook are powerful, but without a solid execution process, they’re just more corporate wallpaper. Enter the End-to-End Execution Process—a straightforward yet critical method for turning strategy into tangible results.

This isn’t about replacing established methods like Design Thinking or Systems Thinking. It’s a streamlined way to help design and product teams move faster, align cross-functional efforts, and keep everyone laser-focused on outcomes that matter.
The Result
The frameworks and tools I delivered for this project are part of a larger programme I developed called Paradigm Foundations. They are not off-the-shelf solutions; they are customised to fit each client’s unique transformation journey and specific needs.

But let’s be real: you can’t just march into an enterprise this massive, throw down some frameworks, and hope they stick. You need a team that believes in the process, champions it, and fosters adoption across the organisation.

That’s exactly what 7Dots brought to the table. They didn’t just back the work—they advocated for it, making sure the foundational aspects weren’t sacrificed in the name of quick wins or short-term fixes. They recognised that genuine transformation requires room to experiment, a guiding framework for decision-making, and a structured safety net when things go sideways.

For me personally, this wasn’t just another gig; it marked my 400th project in 25 years, a major milestone. But what made it truly memorable wasn’t just the scope of the challenge—it was the people. The team at 7Dots brought professionalism, warmth, and a steadfast belief in the process, enabling us to deliver meaningful results for the client.

Together, we helped this enterprise take a solid step toward its goals—no small feat given its size. That’s the power of combining the right frameworks, tools, and partners.
This website provides an overview of my work. Would you like to know more about my process or this project?
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Copyright © Alin Buda. All rights reserved. Trademarks, brands and some of the images are the property of their respective owners.
Some images were sourced from Pexels™ and Unsplash™.
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