Cruz Novillo: Logos: Counter-Print launches its latest book to celebrate the design legend

"What first drew us to the work of Cruz Novillo was both the depth and breadth of his output, which spans a career of over 50 years," says Jon Dowling, co-founder of Counter-Print. "But also the freshness with which we see it through today’s eyes. This is both due to a timeless aesthetic and the fact that he has had a huge influence on contemporary designers from his native Spain, the rest of Europe and beyond.

"The influence of his use of geometric shapes, simple, strong line-work and a playful, illustrative aesthetic can be seen in the work of many contemporary designers and has helped in keeping his legacy alive."

Although this book concentrates on Cruz Novillo's design of logos, he has found recognition, in a varied career, as an artist, sculptor, designer, publisher and illustrator. Born José María Cruz Novillo in Cuenca in 1936, Novillo first studied law before, in 1957, beginning a career as a cartoonist at Clarín Advertising in Madrid.

Shortly after he would begin to work in the field of industrial design at SEDI, promoting years later one of the first Spanish magazines specialising in design, Temas de Diseño, whose editor was the architect Miguel Durán Lóriga. In 1963 he was selected to form part of the team of artists for the Pavilion of Spain at the world fair in New York. By 1965 he had reached the level of Creative Director and abandoned Clarín, opening his own design studio, where he created the corporate identities of many of Spain’s national institutions and companies.

His work is now so ubiquitous, it has become part of the fabric of visual culture in his native Spain. He was responsible for the identity of most of the public services like the post office (Correos), national police (Cuerpo Nacional de Policia), railway system (Renfe), and even the Peseta notes.

The book is out now and available to purchase at Counter-Print. Priced at £19.50. Published by Counter-Print, design by Leterme Dowling.