diff --git a/web/index.html b/web/index.html
index fc234de..4935edb 100644
--- a/web/index.html
+++ b/web/index.html
@@ -11,8 +11,12 @@
   <link rel="icon" href="https://static.xinu.tv/favicon/letterbox.svg" />
   <!-- Pretty checkboxes from https://justboil.github.io/bulma-checkbox/ -->
   <link data-trunk rel="css" href="static/main.css" />
+  <!-- tall thin font for user icon -->
+  <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
+  <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
+  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
   <style>
-    .message {
+    <style>.message {
       display: inline-block;
       padding: 0.5em;
       width: 100%;
@@ -151,8 +155,8 @@
     }
 
     .mobile .thread h3 {
-      padding: 1em 1em 0;
       overflow-wrap: break-word;
+      padding: 1em 1em 0;
     }
 
     .mobile .thread .tags {
diff --git a/web/src/view/mod.rs b/web/src/view/mod.rs
index 0dd8f6b..4c1bb12 100644
--- a/web/src/view/mod.rs
+++ b/web/src/view/mod.rs
@@ -26,11 +26,15 @@ fn set_title(title: &str) {
     seed::document().set_title(&format!("lb: {}", title));
 }
 
+fn compute_color(data: &str) -> String {
+    let mut hasher = DefaultHasher::new();
+    data.hash(&mut hasher);
+    format!("#{:06x}", hasher.finish() % (1 << 24))
+}
+
 fn tags_chiclet(tags: &[String], is_mobile: bool) -> impl Iterator<Item = Node<Msg>> + '_ {
     tags.iter().map(move |tag| {
-        let mut hasher = DefaultHasher::new();
-        tag.hash(&mut hasher);
-        let hex = format!("#{:06x}", hasher.finish() % (1 << 24));
+        let hex = compute_color(tag);
         let style = style! {St::BackgroundColor=>hex};
         let classes = C!["tag", IF!(is_mobile => "is-small")];
         let tag = tag.clone();
@@ -355,26 +359,75 @@ fn message_render(msg: &ShowThreadQueryThreadMessages, open: bool) -> Node<Msg>
     let id = msg.id.clone();
     let expand_id = msg.id.clone();
     let is_unread = has_unread(&msg.tags);
+    let avatar: Option<String> = None;
+    //let avatar: Option<String> = Some(String::from("https://bulma.io/images/placeholders/64x64.png"));
+    let from: String = match &msg.from {
+        Some(ShowThreadQueryThreadMessagesFrom {
+            name: Some(name), ..
+        }) => name.to_string(),
+        Some(ShowThreadQueryThreadMessagesFrom {
+            addr: Some(addr), ..
+        }) => addr.to_string(),
+        _ => String::from("UNKNOWN"),
+    };
+    let initials: String = from
+        .to_lowercase()
+        .split(" ")
+        .map(|word| word.chars().next().unwrap())
+        // Limit to 2 characters because more characters don't fit in the box
+        .take(2)
+        .collect();
+    let img = if let Some(src) = avatar {
+        img![attrs! {At::Src=>src}]
+    } else {
+        let w = 64;
+        let h = 64;
+        let from_color = compute_color(&from);
+        svg![
+            attrs! {At::ViewBox=>format!("0 0 {w} {h}") },
+            style! {
+                St::Display => "block",
+                St::FontFamily => "Poppins",
+                St::FontSize => pt(32),
+            },
+            g![
+                rect![attrs! {
+                    At::Fill=>from_color,
+                    At::Stroke=>"black",
+                    At::StrokeWidth=>"1",
+
+                    // Round corners
+                    //At::Rx => px(10),
+                    At::X => 0,
+                    At::Y => 0,
+                    At::Width => h,
+                    At::Height => h,
+                }],
+                text![
+                    attrs! {
+                        At::Fill => "white",
+
+                        At::X => percent(50),
+                        At::Y => percent(50),
+                        At::DominantBaseline => "middle",
+                        At::TextAnchor => "middle"
+                    },
+                    initials
+                ]
+            ]
+        ]
+    };
     div![
         C!["message"],
         article![
             C!["media"],
-            figure![
-                C!["media-left"],
-                p![
-                    C!["image", "is-64x64"],
-                    img![attrs! {At::Src=>"https://bulma.io/images/placeholders/128x128.png"}],
-                ],
-            ],
+            figure![C!["media-left"], p![C!["image", "is-64x64"], img],],
             div![
                 C!["media-content"],
                 div![
                     C!["content"],
                     p![
-                        msg.from.as_ref().map(|from| strong![from
-                            .name()
-                            .as_ref()
-                            .unwrap_or(&from.addr().unwrap_or("(UNKNOWN)"))]),
+                        strong![from],
                         br![],
                         IF!(!msg.to.is_empty() =>
                         nodes![