Born in Cuenca in 1936, Cruz Novillo established his first studio in 1965, following an initial period at Publicidad Clarín from 1958. His prolific career included creating logos for diverse entities such as Correos, Renfe, the National Police, the Public Treasury, Endesa, and the ONCE Foundation.

He also contributed to the image of media outlets like El Mundo, Cope, and Diario 16. In the Community of Madrid, his work is particularly visible, as he designed the region's flag and coat of arms. In the political sphere, he created the emblematic fist and rose for the PSOE.

His influence extended to the financial sector, with peseta banknotes circulating between 1978 and 1985, and to cinema, where his posters accompanied notable films such as El espíritu de la colmena, El sur, La escopeta nacional, Los lunes al sol, Barrio, and Deprisa, deprisa.

Beyond graphic design, Cruz Novillo explored other artistic disciplines like painting, sculpture, and engraving. From the 1990s, he developed his innovative 'chronochromophonic' works, a personal project investigating the relationship between color, sound, time, and structure.

His career was widely recognized with awards such as the National Design Award in 1997, the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in 2012, and the Laus de Honor in 2023. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. In his final years, he remained active at the Cruz más Cruz studio alongside his son. His legacy was documented in the film 'El hombre que diseñó España' (2019).