Sure the PT had designs that looked nothing like the OT. But that was a problem.
I disagree, that the PT designs were a problem. My issues with the PT is how these designs were used. The then state of the art CGI made these designs seem less tangible, and the PT world thus often seemed cartoony. However, aside from the fact that Lucas crammed too much stuff in a frame, I think the designs were one of the best parts of the PT.
The PT, which is set between 32 and 19 years before SW (not that much time), look basically like a different film series altogether. That’s not a good thing, in my opinion.