I would posit that engineers are human creatures rather than robots, and basing decisions on social factors is a natural part of being human. For my anecdotal

I would posit that engineers are human creatures rather than robots, and basing decisions on social factors is a natural part of being human. For my anecdotal experience, apart from JS libs (where style over substance is frequently the norm) I find a well-designed website is usually a sign the project cares about its users, and is more likely to provide good documentation & a space to ask questions.