Rodney Fitch named 1st design jury president for Dubai Lynx 2011

To further enhance and complement the creative advertising and communications awards of the 4th Dubai International Advertising Festival, a new Design category will be added in 2011, chaired by the distinguished designer Rodney Fitch CBE, founder of Fitch and Professor of Retail Design at TUDelft University, Holland.

The Design category will honour the creative and innovative use of design for brand and product communication and development. Categories will broadly include Packaging Design, Brand Identity and Environmental Design with entries being rewarded for Strategy, Creativity, Execution and Results.

"Design is a fundamental element in advertising and is at the heart of consumer engagement, so it's appropriate that we should include Design to sit alongside all the other categories currently judged and awarded at the Dubai International Advertising Festival," says Steve Lane, Dubai Lynx Festival Director, on the introduction of the new category.

Welcoming the appointment of Rodney Fitch, Philip Thomas, Festival CEO, comments, "We are delighted to be working with Rodney again. He chaired the inaugural Cannes Lions Design Jury for us, and therefore the launch of the Design category at Dubai Lynx could not be in better hands. Known for his brilliant work in Design throughout his impressive career, Rodney will be bringing a wealth of knowledge to the judging process."

During a distinguished profession in design that has spanned nearly forty years, in which he founded and built his now WPP owned design firm Fitch into a truly global agency, Rodney now works as an independent practitioner, consultant, advisor and academic. In recent years he has enjoyed significant involvement with the emerging retail industry in SE Asia and India.

Rodney Fitch has for long been identified with innovative retail design and in 1990 Phaidon published his book 'Fitch on Retail Design' which has become one of the standard texts on this subject. He is passionate about Design being an integral component of successful business strategy.

Rodney has served as a member of the Design Council and as a past president of the Chartered Society of Designers, Cannes Lions and D&AD. In 2005 he was inducted into the Legion of Honour and Hall of Fame of the American Institute Design, the most prestigious award in retail design for an individual, and in 2006 was a finalist for the Prince Philip Designer's Prize. He was awarded a CBE in 1990 for services to the British Design industry. He is also very active in the development of design education.

Rodney Fitch commenting on his role said, "Since Design is at the very heart of all creative work, I'm naturally delighted that it is now an integral part of the Dubai Lynx Festival. It is a very great honour to be the inaugural President and I look forward to working with my distinguished fellow jurors and to seeing some exceptional and original work both from the region and beyond."

Entries are now open for all categories - Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Media, Direct, Sales Promotion & Activation, Interactive, Craft, Design and Integrated advertising. For information about the 2011 Dubai International Festival, register to attend or submit entries, please go to www.dubailynx.com.