Use your Desktop for quick access to active topics, projects, and documents.  Put everything related to a project into one area of the desktop.  Remove them when the project's done, to prevent overcrowding.  On the Desktop use only shortcuts or aliases, not files and folders; they belong in My Documents in an appropriate folder. 

Most application installers put a shortcut on the desktop.  But since Windows is a document-based system (meaning when you click on a document the appropriate application is started for it) these shortcuts are largely irrelevant.  Get rid of most of them;  keep only those you use frequently or to override the system.

On this desktop:

Upper right - 3 icons for a house renovation;

Middle right - 2 icons for daily Spanish practice;

By palm trees - 4 icons for a project;

Left of palms - 3 icons for another project;

Top middle - 2 icons for managing my website;

Arrayed around perimeter - icons to expedite routine work.