Do note that these modifications are a matter of taste. What I enjoy might not perfectly align with your requirements. However, I'm confident you'll want to use at least some of these tweaks.

One of the coolest tools found in Zorin OS is the Appearance tool. With Zorin Appearance, you can quickly change the desktop layout. The free version provides four layouts, and the Pro version ($47.99) gives double that.

But even the available options can be tweaked. For instance, you can take the default GNOME layout and easily turn it into a MacOS-like desktop. Each layout can be customized, so choose one and start tinkering until you get it exactly how you want.

In every desktop I use, there's a dock at the bottom of the screen. I find docks incredibly efficient, and they also align with my aesthetic. Whether I'm on Linux or MacOS (sorry, Windows), there's a dock, and I use it extensively.