Hi All,

Great to be here...

Across all platforms these days, there has been a trend these last few years to reduce UI's to these blocky, chiseled single colour things like something out of the 1980s. Microsoft, Android, they're all doing it.

I am not a fan.

I dearly miss the rendered 3D and transparency effects of days gone by.

So when searching how to get transparency and a nice rendered look really going on KDE I kinda struggle. There's not really any single configuration point I can find, apart from the odd theme that kinda does a few things here and there.

Is there any way to take KDE back to the noughties when UI's had shadow effects, transparency, roll-up window-shades etc? Particularly the panels and 'start' button. I'd like to make the task bar panel and start area transparent and nicely rendered.

I just kinda feel everything has become 'ultra-simplified' the last few years.

I just want something that's slick.

I apologise if I offend anyone or come across as naive, I am new to this.

That being said, I am in total love with KDE. I cam to KUbuntu looking for a platform to be productive and focus. I really love it. So happy.

Maybe the Oxygen theme and icons are of your liking

For the desktop theme, there are a variety of options to choose from freely downloadable from store.kde.org with varying levels of transparency and 3d vs. flat -ness.
For the application theme, there are a couple of options including QtCurve (should be in the distro repos but need to install separately; many themes available on store.kde.org) and Kvantum (may be in the distro repos or just pick it up from store.kde.org; many themes available on store.kde.org). Both QtCurve and Kvantum are highly configurable with varying degrees of support for transparency.