First part of my CS creation usually gets me thinking about the type of character that I would like before I proceed any further, much like a theme or skill set that they would be associated (eg, cybornetics, sniper, melee based, etc). Then I'll venture on the vast internet and rummage through the countless images that I can find (while realising Pinterest is becoming a godsend for these situations) to look for a character image that I would believe to fit my desired idea. Usually I'll gather half a dozen images and work out which one represents the character the best, both in looks, and how they would work within the RP.

My reason for using an image is that I find it easier to imagine that pictured person within the world that the GM has created, so when I have the image that I want I tend to design my CS both with my ideas in mind and around that displayed picture.

So in reality what I find tends to influence the type of character I create because I gather the image early on.