Rick Howard

Chinese Olympian is 13.

Apparently “He Kexin” is only 13 years old and should not be eligible for the Olympics which means, the whiny US Gymnastics team will probably be given the gold. That isn’t the biggest problem I have with the article. What is more confusing is ESPNs need to repeatedly use the gymnasts first name, He.

So you end up getting gems like, “If the age reported by Xinhua was correct, that would have meant He was too young to be on the Chinese team that beat the United States on Wednesday and clinched China’s first women’s team Olympic gold in gymnastics. She is also a favorite for gold in Monday’s uneven bars final.”

ESPN definitely is not short of a sense of humor, but why not change the gymnasts last name throughout the article. The Associated Press usually doesn’t mind small edits for clarification purposes but instead we are stuck with a confusing mix of shes and hes, which would leave one to question whether the athlete was too young or of the wrong gender for the sport they participated in.

I’m glad that ARC employs a full time copywriter to avoid pitfalls like this and insure all of our clients get their message across clearly.

In a comparison no one asked for I am gonna compare businesses to football players.

Microsoft is Ray Lewis - The big bully who is slowly getting past up by younger players
Google is Vince Young - Still in its infancy, but adapts quickly
Enron is Michael Vick - An utter collapse
Yahoo is Peyton Manning - Still has the big gun and the fundamentals but moves slowly
Myspace is the entire New England Patriots - You recognize some faces, but there are plenty you don’t know. Even though some claim to hate them, no one can deny their power.

What comparison can be made for ARC Design?

I would compare ARC Design to Brian Westbrook, Small, yet versatile.

Brian Westbrook is 5′ 8″ and 203lbs, a small number compared to the NFL’s bigger players. Yet he possesses an uncanny ability to move the ball with his feet and with his hands. He can defend his QB and block receivers down field.

He has all the skills needed to succeed and is still moving forward in his talent level. A veteran mindset in a young body.

ARC Design is similar, there are only 11 of us, yet we can take on any clients need. You name it and we can handle it, from Web and Print design to video, copy-writing, 3d rendering to Multimedia DVDs. We may not be as big as some of the larger design agencies, but when it comes down to it, we can hang with the big boys.

While the company is still in its infancy, the talent has been honing its craft for years.

When Brian Westbrook came into the NFL, scouts and players alike said he was too small to play and was just going to get hurt. They were right, he did get hurt, but the old adage “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” is what has driven him to be the top talent he is now.

The same can be said for ARC, we may be trying to grow out of what is deemed a minor city by America’s standards and we may be hurt by the slow months more than a large agency would. As you can see, ARC Design has survived through it all and is growing stronger by the day.

The dream is always to be the leader, but sometimes it’s better just being the best.

Westbrook’s supporting cast of players, coaches and trainers have brought him to that point, the same way our clients have brought us.

There is no substitute for good skills just there is no substitute for good design. That’s why we are building you design solutions for a better business image.