diff --git a/Client/Client.cs b/Client/Client.cs
index 17551de..5152afe 100644
--- a/Client/Client.cs
+++ b/Client/Client.cs
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ namespace Client
             Array.Copy(message, 1, payload, 0, message.Length - 1);
             switch (id)
             {
-                case 0x01:
+                case JSONConvert.LOGIN:
                     // json log in username data
                     break;
-                case 0x02:
+                case JSONConvert.MESSAGE:
                     // json message data
                     (string, string) combo = JSONConvert.GetUsernameAndMessage(payload);
                     string textUsername = combo.Item1;
@@ -84,11 +84,11 @@ namespace Client
 
                     break;
 
-                case 0x03:
+                case JSONConvert.LOBBY:
                     // lobby data
                     //TODO fill lobby with the data received
                     break;
-                case 0x04:
+                case JSONConvert.CANVAS:
                     // canvas data
                     break;
                 default:
diff --git a/Client/ViewModels/ViewModel.cs b/Client/ViewModels/ViewModel.cs
index fb310bf..abb89e3 100644
--- a/Client/ViewModels/ViewModel.cs
+++ b/Client/ViewModels/ViewModel.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ using System.ComponentModel;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Windows.Input;
 using SharedClientServer;
+using System.Diagnostics;
 
 namespace Client
 {
@@ -43,9 +44,6 @@ namespace Client
         {
             get
             {
-                if (_model == null)
-                    _model = new Model();
-
                 return _model;
             }
 
@@ -61,5 +59,10 @@ namespace Client
             get { return _lobbies; }
             set { _lobbies = value; }
         }
+
+        public void OnHostButtonClick()
+        {
+            Debug.WriteLine("Click host button");
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Client/Views/MainWindow.xaml b/Client/Views/MainWindow.xaml
index 7830f07..b3221df 100644
--- a/Client/Views/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/Client/Views/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
             <RowDefinition/>
         </Grid.RowDefinitions>
 
-        
+
         <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
             <ColumnDefinition />
             <ColumnDefinition/>
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
             <Label Grid.Row="0" Content="This client information:" FontSize="17"/>
 
             <Label Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0" Content="Your username:" FontSize="15" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
-            <TextBox Name="usernameTextbox" Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="1" MaxLength="10" FontSize="15" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
 
             <Label Grid.Row="2" Grid.Column="0" Content="Which color you want to be:" FontSize="15" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
             <ComboBox Name="colorSelection" Grid.Row="2" Grid.Column="1" VerticalAlignment="Center" FontSize="15">
@@ -48,6 +47,7 @@
             </ComboBox>
 
             <Label Grid.Row="3" Name="testLabel" FontSize="15" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
+            <Label Content="place username here" Grid.Column="1" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,12,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Grid.Row="1"/>
 
         </Grid>
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
                 <RowDefinition Height="50"/>
             </Grid.RowDefinitions>
             <Button Name="joinButton" Grid.Row="0" Content="join a selected lobby" Click="Button_Click" Width="200" Height="40" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10, 0, 0, 0"/>
-            <Button Name="hostButton" Grid.Row="1" Content="host a new lobby" Command="{Binding ...}" Width="200" Height="40" HorizontalAlignment="left" Margin="10, 0, 0, 0"/>
+            <Button Name="hostButton" Grid.Row="1" Content="host a new lobby" Command="{Binding Path=OnHostButtonClick}" Width="200" Height="40" HorizontalAlignment="left" Margin="10, 0, 0, 0"/>
         </Grid>
 
     </Grid>
diff --git a/Client/Views/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/Client/Views/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index ae7e032..1fe9334 100644
--- a/Client/Views/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/Client/Views/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ namespace Client
             if(lobbySelected != null)
             {
                 testLabel.Content = lobbySelected.ID;
-                usernameTextbox.IsEnabled = false;
                 colorSelection.IsEnabled = false;
                 joinButton.IsEnabled = false;
                 hostButton.IsEnabled = false;
diff --git a/Server/Models/ServerClient.cs b/Server/Models/ServerClient.cs
index ab8af5b..accc07e 100644
--- a/Server/Models/ServerClient.cs
+++ b/Server/Models/ServerClient.cs
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ namespace Server.Models
 {
     class ServerClient : ObservableObject
     {
-        public string Username { get; set; }
         private TcpClient tcpClient;
         private NetworkStream stream;
         private byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
         private byte[] totalBuffer = new byte[1024];
         private int totalBufferReceived = 0;
+        public User User { get; set; }
         
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -84,24 +84,25 @@ namespace Server.Models
         /// <param name="message">the incoming message</param>
         private void HandleIncomingMessage(byte[] message)
         {
-            Debug.WriteLine($"Got message from {Username} : {message}");
+            Debug.WriteLine($"Got message from {User?.Username} : {message}");
             byte id = message[0];
             byte[] payload = new byte[message.Length - 1];
             Array.Copy(message,1,payload,0,message.Length-1);
             switch(id)
             {
                 
-                case 0x01:
+                case JSONConvert.LOGIN:
                     // json log in username data
-                    string uName = JSONConvert.GetUsernameLogin(message);
+                    string uName = JSONConvert.GetUsernameLogin(payload);
                     if (uName != null)
                     {
-                        Username = uName;
-                        Debug.WriteLine("[SERVERCLIENT] set username to " + Username);
+                        User = new User(uName);
+                        User.Username = uName;
+                        Debug.WriteLine("[SERVERCLIENT] set username to " + uName);
                         
                     }
                     break;
-                case 0x02:
+                case JSONConvert.MESSAGE:
                     // json message data
                     (string, string) combo = JSONConvert.GetUsernameAndMessage(payload);
                     string textUsername = combo.Item1;
@@ -110,10 +111,10 @@ namespace Server.Models
                     // todo handle sending to all except this user the username and message to display in chat
                     break;
 
-                case 0x03:
+                case JSONConvert.LOBBY:
                     // lobby data
                     break;
-                case 0x04:
+                case JSONConvert.CANVAS:
                     // canvas data
                     // todo send canvas data to all other serverclients in lobby
                     break;
diff --git a/Server/Models/ServerCommunication.cs b/Server/Models/ServerCommunication.cs
index be3a8f8..96a7ace 100644
--- a/Server/Models/ServerCommunication.cs
+++ b/Server/Models/ServerCommunication.cs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ namespace Server.Models
         public List<Lobby> lobbies;
         private Dictionary<Lobby, List<ServerClient>> serverClientsInlobbies;
         public Action newClientAction;
+        
 
         /// <summary>
         /// use a padlock object to make sure the singleton is thread-safe
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ namespace Server.Models
         {
             foreach (ServerClient sc in serverClients)
             {
-                if (sc.Username != username) sc.sendMessage(message);
+                if (sc.User.Username != username) sc.sendMessage(message);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs b/SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs
index c62b9ae..dac7455 100644
--- a/SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs
+++ b/SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs
@@ -7,10 +7,15 @@ namespace SharedClientServer
 {
     class JSONConvert
     {
+        public const byte LOGIN = 0x01;
+        public const byte MESSAGE = 0x02;
+        public const byte LOBBY = 0x03;
+        public const byte CANVAS = 0x04;
         public static (string,string) GetUsernameAndMessage(byte[] json)
         {
             string msg = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(json);
             dynamic payload = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(msg);
+            
             return (payload.username, payload.message);
         }
 
@@ -19,5 +24,30 @@ namespace SharedClientServer
             dynamic payload = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(Encoding.ASCII.GetString(json));
             return payload.username;
         }
+
+        public static byte[] GetUsernameMessage(string uName)
+        {
+            return GetMessageToSend(LOGIN, new
+            {
+                username = uName
+            });
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// constructs a message that can be sent to the clients or server
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="identifier">the identifier for what kind of message it is</param>
+        /// <param name="payload">the json payload</param>
+        /// <returns>a byte array containing a message that can be sent to clients or server</returns>
+        public static byte[] GetMessageToSend(byte identifier, dynamic payload)
+        {
+            // convert the dynamic to bytes
+            byte[] payloadBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(payload));
+            // make the array that holds the message and copy the payload into it with the first spot containing the identifier
+            byte[] res = new byte[payloadBytes.Length + 1];
+            Array.Copy(payloadBytes, 0, res, 1, payloadBytes.Length);
+            res[0] = identifier;
+            return res;
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/SharedClientServer/User.cs b/SharedClientServer/User.cs
index f25efbf..6e95f64 100644
--- a/SharedClientServer/User.cs
+++ b/SharedClientServer/User.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ namespace SharedClientServer
             _host = host;
         }
 
+        public User(string username)
+        {
+            _username = username;
+            _score = 0;
+            _host = false;
+        }
+
         public string Username
         {
             get { return _username; }