Replying from beehaw since kbin image upload isn't cleanly implemented (You don't know if an image actually uploads until you post).

I wasn't sure I had screenshots from that long ago but I apparently do... I found a screenshot of my Window Maker desktop from 2002 and then an XFCE screenshot from 2007. After a while I moved away from the sidebar and simplified the layout even more but XFCE had and still has the flexibility to implement panels and include widgets that was close to my old workflow and support my new workflow with minimal effort.

Window Maker 2002

XFCE 2007