To investigate the relationship of a creativity-oriented design curriculum to the creative development of gifted adolescents, an activities guide was developed and used with 27 pupils placed in a special art class which met for one period daily. Creativity tests were given and evaluations of art products were made before and after six months of the program for the experimental group and the 32 controls; although these frequently called for subjective judgements, criteria for rating were established. Students in the experimental group generally performed significantly better in tests of fluency, adaptive flexibility, and originality requiring divergent production, but not in convergent production or in rate of emission of familiar cognitive responses. Attitudes toward creativity changed in a positive direction, and experimental students indicated less fear of failure and more self confidence. Conclusions were that designing may be a more complex process than had been assumed and that an art program focusing on problem solving and creative behavior has important functions in the education of the gifted. (RJ)