Even working with computers kitted out with around 2GB of RAM and a 2GHz multi-core CPU, there’s no reason why a lightweight Linux desktop environment can’t offer a fairly full feature set. It’s never going to greatly affect memory and CPU usage to offer conveniences such as a pleasant-looking theme and a searchable application launcher.
As for the layout, it’s sometimes interesting to see a modern approach, but quite often – if you’re outfitting an older model computer – you might be getting it ready for someone who isn’t expert enough to figure out something that strays from conventions. For that reason, we’re not going to mark distributions down if they resort to the tried-and-tested application bar along the bottom of the screen with an application launcher and status panel on opposing sides. What we do want to see is basic functionality, a clear-looking theme and excellent responsiveness.