The small visual cues on Pulse Reel are not decoration. They are there so a fast scan still tells you whether the next click will lead to a creator lane, a topic scene, or a one-off visual detour.
A dense cover usually signals a card where the post itself should be opened first. A more portrait-like cue usually signals that the creator page will carry more of the value.
Search traffic often lands cold. Fast cues help a new visitor understand the site without reading every line of copy before the first click.