Form over function or function over form?
Neither!
Form and function complement each other as explained by the yin-yang principle of ancient Chinese Tao philosophy.
Though it seems to be commonplace, the visual appeal of a site should not overshadow its purpose or function. In fact, some of the most informational and effective websites have a rather bland appearance so to prevent distracting the visitor from the subject matter.
My credo is, the functionality of a project is at least as worthy of full diligence as the look and feel of it.