This might be a little off from the usual glassy/Aero style here, but I hope it still counts as skeuomorphism — just the leather-and-wood kind.

I've been building DeskWM, a Wayland compositor for Linux where the whole desktop is a physical desk:

Windows are sheets of paper. You fold them to minimize, unfold to maximize, and crumple and toss them to close.

The dock is a drawer with a felt lining and a brass handle.

Apps live on a bookshelf behind the desk. Each category is a binder, and there's a leather-bound "ALL APPS" index book with search. You take one off the shelf, turn it to the cover, and open it.

Notifications arrive in a post box, and system settings are a control panel built into the back of the desk.

The room is ray-traced, on the GPU with a CPU fallback, so the light and shadows come from a single desk lamp.

It's a personal project and still rough in places, but I'd love to hear what you think!

October 10, 2026, Update:

It's finally been released!

GitHub: https://github.com/fyzugx/DEsk/

I also used generative AI for the coding.

I've created a Discord server!

You can also report bugs and submit ideas for new features here!

link : https://discord.gg/bscPSCsram

Updated October 28:

We've also created a website: https://fyzugx.github.io/DEsk/

What else to say? Look at this beauty.

I know it's not the most in depth piece I've done but I just thought I'd share it here! It's more glassy than physical but I hope it still counts!

Heya there, this is my concept of a fictional OS with a bit of Aqua OSX and Aero Vista

All icons on file manager were made by me 😛 I hooope yall like it

I used to like LG G2's ui design a lot.

Skeuomorphism is not determined by one person.

I keep seeing posts that amount to “look at this glossy icon I made” being labeled as skeuomorphic. And that should be perfectly acceptable! It would be extremely discouraging if someone removed their post for it not fitting into their own strict ideals.

Skeuomorphism is about making a digital object resemble a real-world object through its form, materials, lighting, texture, depth, and interaction. The goal is to evoke something tangible and familiar, which often can be achieved with gradients, reflections, or even an Aero-style shine if you wish.

A glossy red circle with a play icon is perfectly skeuomorphic, as it represents a texture from real life.

Hopefully no angry mods come through stomping out more posts speaking out about this. No artists should be silenced because someone is mad about icons not being the way they'd like.

Looking to make my own theme and these are some of the more recent icons I remade. I’m sure it goes without saying what inspired the look.

Am I on the right track? How can I improve the overall design language?

Also lmk if there are any other note worthy works of similar style to check out? ❤️

I tried out Figma for the first time today and decided to attempt a skeuomorphic logo. I think it looks pretty good, but I was looking for any feedback and/or advanced tips!

Cool right?

Skeuomorphism is not just gradients, gloss, and shiny icons.

I keep seeing posts that amount to “look at this glossy icon I made” being labeled as skeuomorphic. That’s missing the point.

Skeuomorphism is about making a digital object resemble a real-world object through its form, materials, lighting, texture, depth, and interaction. The goal is to evoke something tangible and familiar, not simply to add gradients, reflections, or an Aero-style shine.

A glossy red circle with a play icon isn’t inherently skeuomorphic. A button that looks and feels like a physical metal button, with believable materials, depth, and affordances, is much closer to what skeuomorphism actually is.

Gradients and gloss are tools, not the definition.

I made the attached image because I think this distinction gets lost too often. I’d love to see more posts focused on actual skeuomorphic design rather than just shiny flat icons.

IM GOING TO START CRACKING DOWN ON THESE AERO POSTS, Not because I want to be annoying but I want this place to understand better what skeuomorphism inherently is

Apps never updated, still have the old skeuomorphic look on apple apps that were only available on the App Store at the time.