diff --git a/frontend/public/global.css b/frontend/public/global.css
index 817499a..e633a7c 100644
--- a/frontend/public/global.css
+++ b/frontend/public/global.css
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ input, button, select, textarea {
 	padding: 0.4em;
 	margin: 0 0 0.5em 0;
 	box-sizing: border-box;
-	border: 1px solid #ccc;
+	border: none;
 	border-radius: 2px;
 }
 
@@ -131,4 +131,16 @@ button:focus {
     outline: none;
     border-radius: var(--button-border-radius);
     padding: 12px;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+.main-panel-header {
+	font-size: 1.1em;
+}
+
+.error-text {
+	color: var(--color-red);
+}
+
+.grayed-text {
+	color: var(--color-red);
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/App.svelte b/frontend/src/components/App.svelte
index a166374..d058fea 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/App.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/App.svelte
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 <script>
 	import { apiClient } from "../api/common";
 	import ChatView from "./ChatView.svelte";
+import FuzzyView from "./FuzzyView.svelte";
 
 	let messageStore = {};
 	let selectedGuild = null;
 	let selectedChannel = null;
 	let guilds = [];
 	let user = null;
+	let layer = { type: "CHAT" };
+
 	apiClient.getRequest("/users/@self")
 		.then((res) => {
 			user = res.user;
@@ -47,6 +50,24 @@
 
 
 	function onTextEntryMessage(event) {
+		const content = event.detail;
+		if (content.startsWith(":") && content.length > 1) {
+			switch (content[1]) {
+				case "g": {
+					layer = { type: "GUILD_FUZZY" };
+					break;
+				}
+				case "c": {
+					if (selectedGuild) {
+						layer = { type: "CHANNEL_FUZZY" };
+					}
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+
+			return;
+		}
+
 		if (!selectedGuild || !selectedChannel) {
 			return false;
 		}
@@ -82,11 +103,47 @@
 			messageStore[selectedGuild.id][selectedChannel.id][thisMessageIndex]._pendingStatus = "error";
 		});
 	}
+
+	function fuzzySelectedGuild({ detail: id }) {
+		selectedGuild = guilds.find(e => e.id === id);
+		selectedChannel = null;
+		layer = { type: "CHAT" };
+	}
+
+	function fuzzySelectedChannel({ detail: id }) {
+		if (!selectedGuild)
+			return;
+
+		selectedChannel = selectedGuild.channels.find(e => e.id === id);
+		layer = { type: "CHAT" };
+	}
 </script>
 
-<ChatView
-	messageStore={messageStore}
-	selectedChannel={selectedChannel}
-	selectedGuild={selectedGuild}
-	on:entermessage={onTextEntryMessage}
-/>
+<style>
+	main {
+		box-sizing: border-box;
+		width: 820px;
+		margin: 0 auto;
+	}
+
+	@media (max-width: 820px) {
+		main {
+			width: 100%;
+		}
+	}
+</style>
+
+<main>
+	{#if layer.type === "CHAT"}
+		<ChatView
+			messageStore={messageStore}
+			selectedChannel={selectedChannel}
+			selectedGuild={selectedGuild}
+			on:entermessage={onTextEntryMessage}
+		/>
+	{:else if layer.type === "GUILD_FUZZY"}
+		<FuzzyView on:selected={fuzzySelectedGuild} elements={guilds} title="Select a guild" />
+	{:else if layer.type === "CHANNEL_FUZZY"}
+		<FuzzyView on:selected={fuzzySelectedChannel} elements={selectedGuild ? selectedGuild.channels : []} title={`Select a channel in ${selectedGuild ? selectedGuild.name : "[unknown guild]"}`} />
+	{/if}
+</main>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ChatView.svelte b/frontend/src/components/ChatView.svelte
index e33e6ec..c39cd41 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ChatView.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ChatView.svelte
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@
 	export let messageStore = {};
     export let selectedChannel;
     export let selectedGuild;
+    let warningMessage = null;
 
-    $: selectedChannelMessages = selectedGuild ? ((messageStore[selectedGuild.id] || [])[selectedChannel.id] || []) : [];
+    // the mess below tries to get the messages for the selected channel from the message store
+    // if there are none or the channel isnt in the store, an empty array is returned
+    $: selectedChannelMessages = (selectedGuild && selectedChannel) ? ((messageStore[selectedGuild.id] || [])[selectedChannel.id] || []) : [];
 </script>
 
 <style>
@@ -17,30 +20,16 @@
 		padding-left: 0;
 		margin-top: 4px;
 	}
-
-	.main-panel-header {
-		font-size: 1.1em;
-	}
-
-	main {
-		box-sizing: border-box;
-		width: 820px;
-		margin: 0 auto;
-	}
-
-	@media (max-width: 820px) {
-		main {
-			width: 100%;
-		}
-	}
 </style>
 
-<main>
-	<div class="card full-card">
-		<span class="main-panel-header">{(selectedGuild ? selectedGuild.name : "[no guild]")} • {(selectedChannel ? selectedChannel.name : "[no channel]")}</span>
-		<div class="message-list-container">
-			<MessageList messages={selectedChannelMessages} />
-		</div>
-	</div>
-	<MessageEntry on:entermessage placeholder="Go on, type something interesting!" />
-</main>
+<div class="card full-card">
+    <span class="main-panel-header">{(selectedGuild ? selectedGuild.name : "[no guild]")} • {(selectedChannel ? selectedChannel.name : "[no channel]")}</span>
+    {#if selectedGuild && selectedChannel}
+        <div class="message-list-container">
+            <MessageList messages={selectedChannelMessages} />
+        </div>
+    {:else}
+        <span> • </span><span class="error-text">no channel selected</span>
+    {/if}
+</div>
+<MessageEntry on:entermessage placeholder="Go on, type something interesting!" />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/FuzzyView.svelte b/frontend/src/components/FuzzyView.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..506d5a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/FuzzyView.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+<script>
+    import { createEventDispatcher } from "svelte";
+    import MessageEntry from "./MessageEntry.svelte";
+
+    export let elements;
+    export let title;
+    let displayedElements = elements;
+
+    const dispatch = createEventDispatcher();
+
+    function elementClicked(id) {
+        dispatch("selected", id);
+    }
+
+    function onTextboxEnter({ detail: value }) {
+        // pressing enter will select the first element
+        if (displayedElements[0])
+            dispatch("selected", displayedElements[0].id);
+    }
+
+    function onInput(e) {
+        const value = e.target.value;
+        if (value.trim() === "") {
+            displayedElements = elements;
+            return;
+        }
+        displayedElements = elements.filter(e => e.name.toLowerCase().startsWith(value.toLowerCase()));
+    }
+</script>
+
+<style>
+    .option-button {
+        width: 100%;
+        padding: 16px;
+        margin: 0px;
+        box-sizing: border-box;
+    }
+
+    .center-text {
+        text-align: center;
+    }
+</style>
+
+<div class="card full-card option-card">
+    <span class="main-panel-header">{ title }</span>
+    {#each displayedElements as element}
+        <button class="button option-button" on:click={elementClicked(element.id)}>{ element.name }</button>
+    {/each}
+    {#if displayedElements.length < 1}
+        <div class="center-text">
+            <p>no results</p>
+        </div>
+    {/if}
+</div>
+<MessageEntry on:input={onInput} on:entermessage={onTextboxEnter} placeholder="Go on, type something interesting!" />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Message.svelte b/frontend/src/components/Message.svelte
index 6f11acc..1828168 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Message.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Message.svelte
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
     let textClass;
 
     $:  if (message._pendingStatus === "waiting") {
-            textClass = "content pending-waiting";
+            textClass = "content grayed-text";
         } else if (message._pendingStatus === "error") {
-            textClass = "content pending-error";
+            textClass = "content error-text";
         } else {
             textClass = "content";
         }
@@ -24,14 +24,6 @@
     .content {
         margin-left: 4px;
     }
-
-    .pending-waiting {
-        color: var(--grayed-text-color);
-    }
-
-    .pending-error {
-        color: var(--color-red);
-    }
 </style>
 
 <div class="container">
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MessageEntry.svelte b/frontend/src/components/MessageEntry.svelte
index 284f709..c8aacd6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MessageEntry.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MessageEntry.svelte
@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 <script>
-    import { createEventDispatcher } from "svelte";
+    import { createEventDispatcher, onMount } from "svelte";
 
     export let placeholder;
     let text = "";
+    let inputRef;
 
     const dispatch = createEventDispatcher();
 
     function onKeydown(e) {
+        dispatch("keydown", e);
         if (e.code === "Enter") {
-            if (text.trim() !== "") {
-                dispatch("entermessage", text);
-                text = "";
-            }
+            dispatch("entermessage", text);
+            text = "";
         }
     }
+
+    onMount(() => inputRef.focus());
 </script>
 
-<input class="separated-card card full-card" placeholder={placeholder} on:keydown={onKeydown} bind:value={text} />
\ No newline at end of file
+<input class="separated-card card full-card" placeholder={placeholder} bind:this={inputRef} on:input on:keydown={onKeydown} bind:value={text} />
\ No newline at end of file