GNOME Flashback continues the traditional desktop interface which was used in GNOME 2.x, but using modern GNOME technologies.

GNOME Panel is a part of the GNOME Flashback desktop, and provides panels and default applets for the desktop. A panel is a horizontal or vertical bar that can be added to a screen margin. It can contain various applets, such as the menu bar, application launch icons, the clock, volume controls, and displays for network connectivity, battery level, and other system monitors.