A closer look at the new trash can and dock UI in OS X Yosemite

The design shift from Mavericks to Yosemite is a lot less stark than what we saw last year with the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7. Nonetheless, Apple with OS X Yosemite still managed to implement a number of noticeable changes to the overall look and feel of the OS, from conspicuous new icons to more subtle UI tweaks.

Min Ming Long of Pixelapse last week put up a relatively comprehensive and informative post detailing a number of the new UI changes we can look forward to once OS X Yosemite breaks free from its beta designation. The entire post is worth checking out, but we'll just highlight two examples to whet your appetite.

First up, we have a close-up view of OS X's new trash can. Yeah, we know that a new trash can icon is typically nothing to write home about, but given that it's a glaring design change, why not give it its due? Besides, you might recall Apple's Craig Federighi saying that Apple spent quite a bit of time on the design.

And so, without further ado, here it is in all of its glory. Behold!

I can't lie; it is pretty sleek. As we covered in greater detail last week, there are a number of icon changes on OS X Yosemite's dock that, on the whole, really embody thoughtful design. The new trashcan in particular marks the end to an OS X trashcan design that more or less looked like this for the last 14 years.

Trashcan business aside, there are some other changes to the OS X Yosemite dock that are worth mentioning. As evidenced in the photo below, Apple has done away with the 3D shelf for icons, a dock mainstay since OS X Leopard. Also make note of new indicator dots and lighter labels for each corresponding application.

Again, make sure to digest the full entry for a more complete rundown of UI changes, from new and almost-neon blue system folders to newly designed navigation elements and a whole lot more.

OS X Yosemite won't be available as a final release until this fall, but until then, interested Mac users can download a beta of the upcoming OS free of charge. Lastly, make sure to check out our handy guide which lays out which Mac models will actually able to run the OS X 10.10.