This weekend I’ve been in Memphis, attending and speaking at the Information Architecture (IA) Summit. What’s IA, you ask? We spent a whole lot of time debating it, talking about what we do and how we do it and how we are different and yet the same as other design professions and organizations.

Suffice it to say that I design user experiences - online, offline, software, mobile etc. Huh? I design how (mostly) websites work, how you experience them, through behavior, look and feel, structure - a whole bunch of stuff that we hope you don’t really notice because its just so easy to use. And my talk was about motivating teams to do great work, which I will post on slideshare soon...

But this post isn’t about that.

Its about the fact that I got to go to Graceland again, and the fact that so many of my friends here were totally excited for me.

When I arrived at the Peabody Hotel on thursday there were already a bunch of friends congregating in the hotel lobby/bar. Almost immediately one ran up to me, hugged me, and exclaimed, “Have you died and gone to heaven - is this your mecca?” And the answer - ohmygods yes. Yes! People, my online identity - dorelvis - speaks of my love for the King, and I use this alter-ego everywhere: personally and professionally. I am loving me some Elvis. (Not in an I think he’s alive way - more in a wow this is kitsch way.)

So thursday afternoon a whole gaggle of user experience designers trekked to Graceland with me. Since it was a weekday afternoon it wasn’t all that crazy crowded. We picked up our tickets and got in line. I was surprised when a young woman wearing a uniform handed us an audio tour (headphones and a device to wear.) The last time I was at Graceland - when my friends kidnapped me on my 30th b-day - this was not the case. I assumed this meant that there would no longer be people standing in strategic areas along the tour giving us the blow by blow, and I have o say I was disappointed. That had been a highlight of my previous visit. Someone in my group commented that Lisa Marie has sold the home to a corporation; that she still receives some of the profits, but that Elvis Presley Enterprises is really no longer in the family. This change seemed to account for more and more things as we took the tour.

So we waited for a shuttle to take us across the street, and then gathered in front of the house.

The first room we see is the living room, and I notice mirrors everywhere. I also notice some of the furniture, and am surprised to say that I like some of it. Surprised is actually too light a word - I am shocked. I remember last time loathing the furnishings - but this visit I see much is mid-century modern, and of course that esthetic is very hip again. (Graceland hasn’t changed - I have.)

I will say that the mirrors and stained glass here are too too much.

The pool room, covered in pleated fabric, was as ugly as I remembered. (Sorry about the photo quality - used my iphone but no flash and lots of people pushing.)

Of course the highlight of the house is the famous Jungle room. 

Green carpet, monkeys everywhere. Lots of interesting tiki statues. I liked this chair with the tiki armrest.

The house itself is very small, and they don’t let us go upstairs. A sign on the door to Elvis’ dad’s office makes me laugh.