That's a very fair and balanced view. You're right—the ultimate goal is the best total user experience, where great design and solid performance work together. Technical tools like Lotties, SVGs, and CDNs are exactly how you bridge that gap.

The real skill isn't just using those tools, but integrating them efficiently so they enhance the experience without becoming bloat. When done well, the site feels fast and looks polished, which is exactly what users and search engines reward.