diff --git a/Server/Models/ServerClient.cs b/Server/Models/ServerClient.cs
index eb07ade..b82e4f4 100644
--- a/Server/Models/ServerClient.cs
+++ b/Server/Models/ServerClient.cs
@@ -10,13 +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;
+        public User User { get; set; }
         
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ 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);
@@ -97,8 +96,9 @@ namespace Server.Models
                     string uName = JSONConvert.GetUsernameLogin(message);
                     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;
diff --git a/SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs b/SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs
index c62b9ae..1eb5c04 100644
--- a/SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs
+++ b/SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ namespace SharedClientServer
         {
             string msg = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(json);
             dynamic payload = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(msg);
+            
             return (payload.username, payload.message);
         }
 
@@ -19,5 +20,22 @@ namespace SharedClientServer
             dynamic payload = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(Encoding.ASCII.GetString(json));
             return payload.username;
         }
+
+        /// <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;
+        }
     }
 }