Entries will be rewarded for their creativity, originality, execution and consumer engagement.
Winners will be honoured in Cannes on June 18 next year.
The festival already includes the categories of press, outdoor, film, media, sales promotion, cyber, direct, titanium, integrated and radio advertising.
Fitch, chair of the design jury, said: "I had often wondered why Cannes never honoured design, for isn't design the very platform on which so much creative endeavour is based?
"Now that the world has come to its senses, I'm greatly honoured, and not a little humbled to be the Design Jury's inaugural president and am confident the work we shall see will be inspirational and help make these Lion roar even louder."
Fitch founded the Fitch design agency in 1972 and now has 19 studios in 12 countries around the world.
Philip Thomas, chief executive of the festival, said: "We are truly honoured to have Rodney Fitch chair the first Design Lions jury.
"With such a long and illustrious background in design, working with a broad portfolio of clients from all over the world, the inaugural Design Lions competition could not be in better hands."