Speaking of GUIs and such, I would look at computer games. They often have a very distinct style, and have to balance it with the actual need to get stuff done

Speaking of GUIs and such, I would look at computer games. They often have a very distinct style, and have to balance it with the actual need to get stuff done (in game). For example, I play Factorio quite a bit now, and the UX is a pleasure. The graphic design itself plays only a small role in that, but all the traditional elements, like buttons easy to recognize, ability to have hotkeys, tooltips, highlights, etc. are there.