Uglyness is 100% due to the nose legality rules and 100% due to maximising aero performance with in those rules.
To make the cars safer the FIA have changed the 2014 nose rules to try and reduce the chances of a following car riding up and over the back of the rear wheel of the car in front.
Basically the FIA have lowered the minimum front cross section requirement and the teams have found ways within the rules to keep as much of the bulk of the nose as high as possible.
A high nose with a potruding crash stucture section as seen on the Williams is all about smoothing out airflow under the chassis to the floor and to the rear diffuser for maximum downdorce and sadly nothing to do with looks.
Sorry, but I think they are going to get worse
Motorsport rules tell you what you CANNOT do, not what you CAN do. If you want to push to the edge of legality you should ask each question in such a way that you get the answer you want.
I'm sure for next year the nose rules will be tightened so hopefully cars will look better.