I've always been a big fan of rainmeter, as someone who hates to have their desktop cluttered with programs and files. I've seen a few of the disasters of desktops working in editing for several years and I personally can't stand it.
Maybe it's an OCD with desktops. I like to be able to find what I need and have it look nice instead of the clunky ugly shortcuts all over the place. I've experimented with Rainmeter for years and although I don't have previous setups to show, this is my current layout.
It's easy to customize to get shortcuts to your most frequent folders or applications, and if you know some programming you can even make your own. You can customize sound effects or for it to play music whenever you want. Some will even have a few slideshow options for your favorite photos. Compatible with Windows7-10 and I THINK Mac. You can find skins on their site, Reddit, or Deviantart. And the best part is it take next to nothing in CPU and RAM. Maybe you can try your own ;)