Here's an example of how parts of characters can be removed to make typography more visually appealing, while not effecting the legibility too much.

I found this picture while looking through flickr at student typography posters. This is by Jason Ellison.
The smaller characters at the bottom pilling up seem to give the image a sense of gravity, while the larger ones seem to be balanced on top. The colour scheme gives it an almost luminous effect.



This is another picture from the same site by Ryan Pallatt. I really love this picture. At a glance it looks like a mess, a huge jumble, but it catches your eye and as you look closer you see more.
I think the hierarchy works well too. Amidst the the chaos your eye is somehow drawn to the title 'Baskerville typeface' at the bottom left.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vccgraphics/sets/72157594204888427/