I'm all right with SpongeBob's Season 1 design, however, I would typically use it more as an interpretation of SpongeBob's past (like Tracey Ullman Simpsons and Classic Sonic), and not really want to use it seriously. There are actually three seperate versions of this design I've noticed- The "Help Wanted" one, the one used from Tea at the Treedome-I Was a Teenage Gary in which he was less wavy and had thinner lines, and the one used in Reef Blower and SB-129-Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy II, which was wvier with thicker lines. I wish I could show a comparision, but I don't know how to. Personally I like the "Reef Blower" design more.
Early Season 2 (ending around Grandma's Kisses/Squidville) is pretty much a turning point between Season 1 and mid-Season 2.
Late Season 2/Early Season 3 and Season 4 are my personal favourites, besides the occasional eyebrows in Season 4's case. Late Season 3 (starting around about Ugh) is one I'm not very fond of. I don't know what it is, but he sort of looks a little fatter. I'm not even sure if there's a difference, or if my mind just links it to the end of the show's original run.
As for Season 6, if you take away the "Springer Cheeks" as I call them, it's probably his most boring design. There's nothing I can really say about it. Do I like the Springer Cheeks just in general? If they're close to his eyes and he's smiling, I'm okay with it, but I don't think it works when he's frowning. He looks a little creepy to be honest.
Season 9b is sort of a 70/30 of the Season 6 and the Late Season 2/Early Season 3 design, which I'm currently all right with. Vincent Waller said that there's a technical reason why they can't go back and use the early designs, and until they make a design which is slightly more in line with Late S2-Early S3, I'm not going to complain.
On the subject of SpongeBob's design, have you noticed the change on merchandise? Before Season 4, it was flat colours, during Season 4-5 there was a little more depth and shading, and from Season 6 to the present day, there's a ton more shading and more realistic features for SpongeBob (like several different shades of his eye colour and having a uvula more frequently). Although I'm not going to lose sleep over it, I really wish they bring back the Season 4-5 design. However, that's just me. I haven't seen a lot of people talk about it so I don't know others' opinions, but it's good they aren't whining about it, like I was slightly.
