Desktop Neo

Summary

Desktop Neo rethinks desktop computing for today’s people and tasks with a focus on productivity and efficiency. It does this by addressing three core challenges that have long held back the traditional desktop.

First, it replaces the clutter of app windows with full-height, side-by-side panels. This makes multitasking smoother and lets users use the whole screen without the chaos of overlapping windows.

Second, Neo abandons folders and instead uses hashtags to organize content. This approach unifies emails, documents, websites, and more into a flexible, searchable system that adapts to how people actually work.

Third, Neo introduces gaze tracking, touch gestures, and voice commands as new input methods. These natural interactions speed up tasks and reduce reliance on the mouse and keyboard.

Together, these ideas form a cohesive vision of a desktop that matches modern workflows, making it easier to find, manage, and interact with content.

Neo was designed to inspire and provoke discussions about the future of productive computing. It is not going to be a real working operating system interface, it is just a concept. I am not saying that these ideas would definitely work and that this is the future of computing. However, there is large potential in rethinking the core interfaces of desktop computing for modern needs, and somebody has to try. Lennart Ziburski

Key concepts

• The desktop is stuck in the past Desktop computing hasn’t changed much in 30 years — still built on windows, folders, and mouse input. Meanwhile, we’ve switched to smartphones and tablets because they’re easier to use.
• Panels replace overlapping windows Neo shows apps as full-height panels arranged side-by-side without overlap. Overlapping windows, born in the Xerox Star 40+ years ago, are now inefficient for today’s complex multitasking needs.
• Tags instead of folders Neo uses hashtags to organize everything — from documents and apps to emails, websites, and even social content. This breaks the old file-location metaphor, letting you gather related content from across devices and services in one flexible place.
• Natural input methods By integrating gaze tracking, touch gestures, and voice commands, Neo speeds up interaction and moves beyond the decades-old mouse model. These new inputs create smoother transitions between desktop and mobile workflows.
• Smart search and content cards The Finder’s search bar suggests tags and filters even before you start typing, with auto-complete and related suggestions to help you find what you need faster. Content Cards preview items and let you take quick actions without opening full apps.

Desktop Neo imagines a desktop environment built for how we actually work today — organized by tags, navigated by gestures, and designed to make us more efficient and productive.

This idea was originally published by Lennart Ziburski as Desktop Neo.