If you are starting out for the first time on zencart, then it is best to do a fresh install of the latest software (version 1.5).

By doing this, you will be creating the basic platform on the latest, and safest, version of the software.

Your FIRST task - (before you worry about colours, logos, styling) - is to get your head round the important FUNCTIONAL aspects of the software, most of which are controlled and configured in the ADMIN panel.

If you install zencart WITH the demo products loaded, your learning experience is made MUCH easier. Within a week you will have learned many of the important functions, and will then be in a better position to start thinking about design.

TOO MANY PEOPLE worry about the cosmetics when starting out. It is the FUNCTIONALITY that is most critical in the early stages.

We always recommend choosing one of the FREE TEMPLATES offered in the Add-On section, because these are generally very compatible with the CORE system. TemplateMonster templates should be avoided, unless you are a PHP guru, and have the skills to unpick the many problems they create.

ALL the free templates can be re-styled, and radically different "skins" can be created by changing some of the layout settings in the admin panel, a handful of different images, and a few CSS declarations.

As MOST of the design is governed by CSS, it will be FAR MORE VALUABLE to you that you learn CSS very well, and use browser-based tools like FIREBUG and WEB DEVELOPER TOOLKIT (both for Firefox), to get your head round the CSS styling in zencart.

You should AVOID commercial templates (in general) and those from places like TenplateMonster and Algozone (and all of their re-sellers) will give you no end of headaches.