Go to google, and type in game UI’s or GUI. You will see lots of examples. I started a folder where I kept images of GUI’s I liked, talked to gamers about what they liked in a GUI and I used ideas from games I played…what do I personally like in a GUI when I play.
Choose a theme that suits your game. There are plenty of GUI templates, some even with all the buttons and windows you need, on the asset store for not much money. They make it much easier. You can then add your own artwork to make the GUI original.
Scott Rogers has a great section on GUIs in his book, Level Up!, if you can get access to a copy.
The GUI should reinforce gameplay. Like @Teila writes, theme (the visual style) reinforces gameplay when it evokes the right mindset in the player. A colorful, cartoony interface with bouncy animations wouldn’t fit the theme of a dark horror game.
Just as important, the GUI needs to let the player do everything he or she expects, without getting in the way. That’s the hard part of GUI design. It means avoiding things like creating deeply layered menus and placing commonly-used button combinations at opposite ends of the screen.
Ultimately, if your GUI is evocative, intuitive, and efficient, you can’t go wrong.