Iride01 

I don't know that we are trying to maximize downhill speeds. I mainly just like to keep pedaling and not coast. As for coarser shifting, I don't see it on an 11 speed. Maybe on a 8 speed you'd have more coarser shifting if you had a range of 11-30, but for 11 speed there are lots of 1 tooth shifts for the flats. Shimano 11 speed 11-30 are 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-27-30T. And as you move to the cogs with more teeth the gear ratios tighten up so 2 tooth changes in the 15 or more and 3 tooth changes in the 20 plus tooth range aren't as big a change as just going by tooth count will lead one to believe.

In the 52 ring, a shift from 11 to 12 rear is only a difference in ratio of .3, the difference in 27 to 30 is .2 if I had to shift through 28 and 29 tooth cogs to get there, I'd only be making changes of less than .1 in ratio. So bigger tooth counts changes for the bigger cogs make sense for group sets with more cogs on the rear.
Back in the 5 speed rear day is when having a close spaced rear from high to low made sense. After all, the first five of most 11 speed cassettes are 1 tooth changes. Talk of needing to have close spaced min to max tooth is holdover speak from days of old once you get past 9 or 10 cogs on the rear. IMHO of course.

For those that can run a 11 speed 12-25, 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-25T on a 2x front, then I'm envious. Those sort of days are gone for me since even before my 30's. With a 3x, I might be able to handle it, but 3x's don't like 11 on the back very well...I only think that, I admit, I've never tried a 3x11 setup.

I might have erroneously assumed that you were mostly riding flats, but even in hills, if your power to weight ratio isn't there yet, then what you are doing makes sense. My Raleigh is the bike that got me back in shape when life slowed down in my fifties and I could ride again. It was only 7 speed and I probably spent a lot of time in the small 39 front and the 14-28 in the back was sometimes not low enough. I had to walk a few hills in the early years.