Platform engineering aims to support the developer experience by understanding sociotechnical systems, designing platforms for users, championing developers who are resources for others, focusing on culture, education, and experimentation, and ultimately reducing toil and increasing joy. It involves considering human factors in technical decisions, using metrics like DORA to gauge team performance, and creating a platform that reduces cognitive load and provides flexibility while encouraging learning and experimentation. By prioritizing the developer experience, platform engineering can lead to more effective teams, improved collaboration, and increased productivity.