Starting my first conlang

Hi everyone!

I’m completely new to conlanging, and I’ve decided that my very first project will be an auxlang (international auxiliary language). I really want to create something that is easy to learn, culturally neutral, and accessible to as many people as possible.
Since auxlangs have very specific goals compared to artlangs, I’d love to get some targeted advice from the community:
- What are the best strategies for keeping the phonology simple and easy to pronounce for speakers of different language families?
- How should I approach vocabulary? Is it better to source roots from major world languages (like a zonelang) or create them from scratch (a priori)?
- Are there any specific traps or beginners errors that I should study and avoid?

If you have any resources, books, or tools specifically useful for designing auxiliary languages, please share them! Thanks in advance!