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Here are my constructions:

  1. While carrying out his engineering project, he prepared the design of wired and wireless network infrastructure and developed the new architectural plans of the building.
  2. While carrying out his engineering project, he designed wired and wireless network infrastructure and developed the new architectural plans of the building.

So my question is, should I use 'he prepared the design' or 'he designed'?

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  1. While carrying out his engineering project, he prepared the design of wired and wireless network infrastructure and developed the new architectural plans of the building.

Comparing the noun and verb definitions of design, the expression prepared the design tends to limit his participation to the drawing aspect of the project:

design

noun

1.0 A plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other object before it is made:

design

verb

[WITH OBJECT]

1.0 Decide upon the look and functioning of (a building, garment, or other object), by making a detailed drawing of it:

1.1 Do or plan (something) with a specific purpose in mind:

ODO

The sentence below, can denote the same meaning, but it can also suggest his design involvement in wired and wireless infrastructure was deeper than just drawings for this building:

  1. While carrying out his engineering project, he designed wired and wireless network infrastructure and developed the new architectural plans of the building.

The broader meaning is reinforced by an omitted determiner. Adding another the would suggest his design activity was limited to the specific architectural plans of the building, as opposed to a broader development of wired and wireless network infrastructure:

  1. While carrying out his engineering project, he designed the wired and wireless network infrastructure and developed the new architectural plans of the building.

If the intention is to credit the man for broader development of wired and wireless network infrastructure, it might read more smoothly as:

  1. While carrying out his engineering project, he designed wireless and wired network infrastructure and developed the new architectural plans of the building.
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    Dueling dictionaries: Merriam-Webster has design 5a : an underlying scheme that governs functioning, developing, or unfolding : pattern, motif, the general design of the epic, which certainly goes well beyond blueprints. For architecture, I'd agree that design usually means drawing, but definitely not for networks.
    – Peter Shor
    Commented Apr 6, 2015 at 14:59

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