Does Hawley not understand that the technology in Alien looked like that because it was made in the 1970s not because it was some deliberate design choice?
I'm pretty sure that even in 1979 Scott could have shown something that looked more futuristic but as @Set Harth says it was a conscious design choice, to some degree at least. There's something very robust and functional about Nostromo's tech, it looks like something that could take a lot of wear and tear, something you could repair even if you're light years away from a space dock. Also I suspect Weyland -Yutani would have opted for the cheapest option they could!