The heart of any wood shop is the work bench It's the place where every project comes to life, and in the world of social media the popularity of it is almost over whelming.
The problem for someone researching the subject is the amount of information out there that they have to sift through. Then it's who do you listen to ?   
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I think a work bench is a personal thing that can only be decided on by the person using it, and only after years of developing your craft can you truly know what does or doesn't work for you. Because just maybe a moxon vise is all you really need, especially if your just after a way to secure stock while cutting joinery.    

​My best advise is to take in as much  information as you can find, looking at established woodworkers whos styles of work you are influenced by and see what they are using committing yourself to understanding why they use what they use.
For now just get your self a couple of saw horses with a piece of ply board across the top and start woodworking. Because only after you progress in your craft and gain some knowledge can you make an honest, informed and educated decision on what will work for you.   
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What is a good first time woodworking project ? It's a great question and honestly the best project to start out with is the first one you build. A bird house, a box, or maybe an end table, it really doesn't matter what you build first, it only matters that you start.
I have never bought into the idea that you have to build this or do that when you start woodworking your craft will evolve with each projects you build. And in ten years both your knowledge and skill will be greater then today. But as you go through this progression of projects always try to push yourself to do something that will test your abilities, a new joinery technique, or even a different finish, this is how you will grow as a woodworker. In this day and age you can find good free project plans online, just stay to sites that are reputable like Fine Woodworking, or Popular woodworking for example. These are all great sources for detailed plans. Places like you tube I think are bad for a beginner, and before you get upset hear me out. While there are makers there who get it right and you should listen to them, there is also a lot of misinformation that is scary at best. And when you are just starting to learn something you really don't know who to listen to, making it really easy to be misguided. So I would avoid social media places like this, or any google search that claims to have an abundance of free woodworking plans with titles like Ted's for example. The best advise I can pass on to anyone who is just starting out is one word, " Patience ". Because without it that's when we rush ourselves and or make mistakes doing things that are subpar. After all master pieces aren't built over night.   

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First I apply tape to the mating surfaces of both the template and the material I am going to create my curve in.
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​One of the biggest advantages I have found with this technique is that after you have finished routing, the template comes off without much fuss and the tape peels off easy leaving no residue behind. Now I am pretty certain that if I know about this technique you probably do too, but if you did not I hope this helps you out. 
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The age old question. " I want to get into woodworking, but what tools do I need to get started ? "  And as I go back through everything I have published I quickly realize I have never addressed this question before, so here's my two sense. 
​I can understand how it could be intimidating when you walk into the shop of someone who has been woodworking for years. All the power tools, the hand tools, the jigs, and the walls covered with everything from clamps to templates, it's a lot to take in for sure. 
But I think the intimidation comes from the simple over sight that you are standing in a shop that is built from years of various projects, filled with the tools collected to complete each one of those projects.  With this in mind my best advise is to decide what you want to build, then it's just a question of what tools do you need to build that project and that's where the tool buying should start and your tools and shop will grow from there with each project you undertake.