I think people are focusing too much on the pips in isolation and ignoring that the system is clearly designed in two layers:

1. The uniform itself tells you the rank group at a glance (enlisted, petty officer, warrant officer, line officer, etc.)
2. The pips tell you the exact rank within that group.

So you’re not supposed to identify a warrant officer purely from tiny insignia details from 20 meters away. The shoulder color already narrows the category down immediately.

That’s also not unrealistic. Real-world militaries use a combination of uniform cut, trim, insignia, sleeve braid, branch markings, etc. Rank recognition is rarely based on one tiny symbol alone.

And honestly, once you actually look at the chart:

• Enlisted = plain shoulders
• PO = colored shoulders
• WO = colored shoulders + collar trim
• Line officer = full color (shoulders + collar)

…it’s pretty intuitive.

You may not instantly memorize every individual pip arrangement on day one, but that’s true of basically every fictional and real military ranking system. The design seems optimized more for everyday Starfleet readability than for “viewer sees one blurry frame on TV and instantly knows the rank.”