Theis the main desktop component of theproject. It is deeply integrated with other applications like the dock called Plank , the top panel Wingpanel , application launcher Slingshot and comes with its own window manager Gala , which is based on Mutter

The traditional Unix like substitutability of components is sacrificed by a design philosophy that streamlines the user interface for better global aesthetics and out-of-the-box experience inspired by popular proprietary desktops. To do that, the Elementary project enhances the Gtk+ libraries with its own extensions for improved usability and a unique design. It also comes with its own set of programs that all adhere to the visual guidelines like: text editor, file browser, terminal emulator, desktop calendar, e-Mail client, software gallery, video player, audio player and etc. To simplify application creation designed for Elementary, an application development framework (Granite) was created. The preferred programming language is Vala.