Follow these design principles for a minimal, functional interface:
- Extreme minimalism: Half the padding you initially think. Use 
p-1,p-2max, neverp-4or higher - Compact spacing: Use 
gap-1for flex gaps,space-y-1for vertical spacing - Small text: Default to 
text-xsfor UI elements,text-smfor important headers only - Tight controls: Buttons use 
px-2 py-0.5 text-xs, inputs usepx-1 py-0.5 text-xs - Monospace for data: Use 
font-family: 'Courier New', monospacefor any data display