[iamcalledrob]

I'd argue it's trading legibility for aesthetics.

My personal take is that aesthetics play an important function, but legibility is more important. Good design will achieve both.

[reactordev]

A great example of the pains it takes to achieve both:

https://admindagency.com/road-sign-design/

Road sign design had to achieve both and more and yet they still managed to pull it off.