Desmos Link: https://www.desmos.com/calculator/5vddswesir

Luckily when I started this project, I already had some experience with desmos. Although I only knew the basics, my knowledge helped me especially during the beginning. When I started the project, I began by sketching my first draft on paper and reviewed my notes of all the different functions that were necessary for the project. Now that I knew what all the functions looked like, it was simple for me to decide which functions would be used on certain areas.

There were many challenges that I encountered, but the bigger ones were shading and connecting lines. Shading was a new concept to me on desmos and took me awhile to grasp. In addition, it required many steps because in order to keep the shading within the restrictions, you had to shade in piece by piece. After some research and practice, it became easier to do and wasn’t much of an obstacle after doing it a few times. Connecting lines, most of the time, wasn’t an obstacle; however, when I began using more complex functions, there were many decimals involved. In order to ensure that the functions were connected, I would build from the restrictions I placed on the previous line and make some calculations on my calculator to get the correct fraction needed. Whenever I would face a challenge, I would either look back at my notes, use a different function, try to think of other ideas, or research a solution.

I did not get any help from other people; however, I did use google and a few YouTube videos to get a better understanding on different functions and the properties of desmos. Through researching online, I was able to learn about circles, shading, and moving points.

My strategy throughout the project was to begin each function by knowing where I would need to add numbers to make a stretch, translation, or reflection. After I knew where the number would be added for the specific transformation, I started to focus on how big or small the number would need to be to fit well on the graph. Although, making the card strategically was one method, my other strategy was to just experiment with functions and try new things. By trying new things, it allowed me to observe functions that I never would have seen if I were thinking more strategically.

This project was very unique. It was something I have never done before, which was interesting. Not only was it fun to do, it also deepened my understanding of transformations of functions and relations. I now fully understand how functions can be maneuvered into multiple shapes and different positions; furthermore, it also enhanced my knowledge of restrictions. It was awesome to see how math can be more than just math, but become art as well. I am super proud of the work I put into this project and can’t wait to make my desmos Christmas card for 2020.