I agree with that example you just shared. I think I don’t view it as the same as your quote though:
> the more obvious effort that has been put into a thing's aesthetics
I would consider that sign example to not be aesthetically pleasing. Maybe it’s more related to the ‘loudness’ of the aesthetics.
There are a lot of simple text blogs on HN which is a great aesthetic, some with lots of thought to keep them simple. Thats the counterpoint IMO.