When you build a new personal portfolio, every choice feels intentional. You agonize over the framework, the hosting architecture, the layout, and—inevitably—the color scheme.
Since launching this new Astro site, a few people have asked me: “Why purple and black?”
It’s a fair question. In tech portfolios, you usually see a lot of neutral blues, clean grays, or minimal monochromes. But for me, purple and black aren’t just a design choice or a sleek aesthetic trend. They are a visual thread connecting the most defining chapters of my life.
Rooted in the Game
Long before I was writing code or managing tech stacks, I was on the hardwood. I grew up with a basketball permanently glued to my hands, playing on school teams from elementary school all the way through high school graduation.
Living and breathing basketball meant one thing: I was a die-hard Sacramento Kings fan.
That fandom eventually evolved into a dream milestone. Right after finishing college, I managed to score an internship with the Kings organization. That foot in the door turned into a foundational multi-year chapter of my career where I served as their Lead Webmaster.
Managing a major sports franchise’s digital presence taught me how to handle scale, speed, and real-time user demands under pressure.
Every single day of that journey was framed by Kings purple and black.
A Personal Milestone
The color followed me off the court and outside the office, too.
Right during that incredible career chapter with the Kings, I married my wife. When we were planning our wedding, our primary theme color was—you guessed it—purple.
Bringing It Back to the Source
As technologists, we often focus on performance metrics, accessibility scores, architecture decisions, and conversion rates. Those things matter. But the best digital experiences also have personality and intention behind them.
When it came time to sit down and rebuild davidwwilliams.net, I knew I wanted a dark mode aesthetic that felt authentic to who I am.
Choosing this color palette lets me subtly nod to the game I’ve always loved, the professional milestone that launched my career trajectory, and the day my family started.
It’s a subtle reminder that while the tech stack we use will always change, the stories that shape us stay the same.
Thanks for reading and Light the Beam! 🟣🔦
