Hello,
I'd like to raise a small, easy-to-fix usability concern with the "Save changes to Project before closing?" dialog in Archicad (macOS).
I am sure this has perhaps happened to everyone when working late — the mouse arrow slips and all new project changes have not been saved. A stupid accident, often noticed the next day. Trying to recover the lost work afterwards is not simple, and requires real skill.
Currently, Save, Don't Save, and Cancel are placed directly next to each other in a horizontal row, with no confirmation step before changes are discarded. This makes it very easy to accidentally click "Don't Save" when intending to click "Save" — a single mis-click or mouse slip can permanently discard unsaved work on a live project file. I've experienced this myself on more than one occasion — clicking, and only realising a moment later: "Oh no, I did not save the project."
By contrast, other destructive actions in the application (e.g. deleting a photo) already prompt a secondary confirmation before proceeding. I'd ask that the same level of protection be applied here, given the potential for far greater data loss.
I'd suggest either of the following:
- Reposition the buttons so "Don't Save" is visually separated from "Save" and "Cancel" (for example, placed on the opposite side of the dialog, as macOS's own native save dialogs do), rather than all three sitting adjacent in a row.
- Add a secondary confirmation step that appears specifically when "Don't Save" is clicked, asking the user to confirm they intend to discard changes — consistent with how other destructive actions are already handled in the application.
Given how costly this can be for users working on live project files, I'd appreciate it if this could be considered for a future update. Small safety details like this can even become a point of pride — much as Volvo built its reputation on seatbelts and the third brake light rather than just performance. Data safety could be a similar differentiator for Archicad and sets the message we care about our user!
Kind regards,
Michael
Open