@extebert @lain More specifically, Ubuntu was somewhat known for doing detailed art of release mascots; some of it was very good, and for a while each release of Ubuntu tried to focus on making a better-looking more-usable system.
After making a ton of decisions that ultimately fragmented the community and did not pan out, we're now in a reality where Gnome 3 and Wayland are the default, Ubuntu Mobile has failed, and little effort is now going into the basic look and feel. It fees weird.