Who is Sab Yang?
Launched her YouTube channel in 2018 focusing on iPad workflows and digital art. Early videos documented switching from traditional notebooks to GoodNotes, experimenting with Procreate brushes, testing Apple Pencil alternatives. Niche content that found an audience hungry for practical iPad tutorials.
Channel grew steadily to 200K+ subscribers by 2024. Content evolved beyond pure iPad stuff into tech reviews, creative workflows, and lifestyle videos blending productivity with visual creation. The common thread is showing how tools actually fit into creative work instead of just listing features.
What makes Sab's content different is the focus on visual process. Lots of tech YouTubers talk about apps. She shows the actual workflows, screen recordings of real projects, time-lapses of illustration work. The audience isn't just watching reviews, they're learning techniques.
Her Sab Yang tools stack reflects that creative focus. No overwhelming productivity systems with seventeen task managers. Just five apps handling writing, visual creation, and organization without getting in the way of making stuff.
Scripts & Content Planning
Google Docs handles all script writing and content outlines. Not Notion, not fancy scriptwriting software, just Docs. Voice typing captures ideas during morning walks without breaking flow to type on phone.
Real-time collaboration works seamlessly with her editor. Commenting on talking points, suggesting B-roll shots, tracking which sections need retakes. All happening in the same document instead of scattered across email and messaging apps.
Version history saved her multiple times when script edits went sideways. Accidentally deleted a whole section at 11pm before filming? Just restore from an hour earlier. That safety net alone justifies staying in Google's ecosystem.
Notion manages the content calendar and product review database. Video ideas get tagged by status, priority, and category. Product reviews link to purchase info and sponsorship details. Simple database views show what's filming this week versus what's in the backlog.
Tried moving all writing into Notion in 2022. Missed Google Docs' simplicity and superior mobile voice typing after two weeks. Sometimes the boring tool just works better than the trendy one.
iPad Research & Notes
GoodNotes runs all iPad note-taking during product testing and research. PDF manuals get imported and annotated with Apple Pencil. Highlighting key specs, drawing diagrams explaining features, scribbling questions to address in the review.
Handwriting recognition makes old notes searchable months later. Looking for that spec detail from a laptop review in June? Just search the term and GoodNotes pulls up the exact page even though it was handwritten.
Templates keep different content types organized. Tech review template, creative workflow notes, video planning sheets. All structured consistently so nothing important slips through cracks.
Notability users always ask why she sticks with GoodNotes. Honestly? Habit and the folder organization system that makes sense to her brain. Switching would require reimporting years of notes. Not worth the disruption for marginal improvements.
Graphics & Illustration Work
Procreate handles all digital illustration and thumbnail sketching on iPad. Custom brushes maintain consistent art style across hundreds of videos. Quick sketches during planning phase, polished illustrations for final thumbnails, all in the same app.
Time-lapse recordings turn the illustration process into content itself. Every Procreate session automatically records. Best ones become Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts showing the creative process behind thumbnails.
Layer system keeps elements organized for easy editing. Background on one layer, subject on another, text overlays separate. Makes thumbnail iterations fast when testing different compositions.
Affinity Designer handles more technical graphics and diagrams on desktop. Explaining how a laptop's cooling system works? Vector diagrams in Affinity beat trying to illustrate that in Procreate. Channel art and video overlays get designed here too.
One-time purchase for Affinity versus Adobe's subscription made the choice easy. Occasional design work doesn't justify paying monthly. Affinity does everything needed without the recurring cost.
Why Just Five Apps?
Sab's stack is intentionally minimal compared to other tech YouTubers running fifteen productivity apps. The philosophy is simple: tools should enable creation, not become the project themselves.
Google Docs for writing. Notion for organization. GoodNotes for iPad research. Procreate and Affinity for visual work. That's it. Each handles something specific without overlap or feature bloat.
The constraint forces focus on making stuff instead of optimizing systems. No time wasted evaluating the latest task manager or rebuilding Notion databases for the third time this year. Just create, publish, repeat.
Tried expanding the stack multiple times when testing tools for videos. Motion for scheduling, Superhuman for email, Things for tasks. Always ends up cutting back to these five core apps because anything extra just creates maintenance overhead.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sab Yang's Stack
What apps does Sab Yang use for YouTube?
Google Docs for scripts and outlines. Notion for content calendar and product reviews. GoodNotes for iPad research notes. Procreate for thumbnail illustrations. Affinity Designer for technical graphics. Five apps total. The Sab Yang tech stack stays minimal on purpose because tool management shouldn't become the job itself.
Why does Sab use Google Docs instead of Notion for writing?
Voice typing during walks captures ideas without pulling out a phone to type. Real-time collaboration with her editor works seamlessly. Version history saves scripts when edits go sideways. She actually tried moving to Notion in 2022, lasted two weeks before missing Docs' simplicity. Sometimes the boring tool just works better.
What does Sab Yang use for iPad note-taking?
GoodNotes handles all product testing research and manual annotations. PDF imports with Apple Pencil notes, handwriting recognition making old notes searchable, template system keeping different content types organized. Notability users always ask why she doesn't switch. Answer is habit and folder organization that makes sense to her brain.
What illustration app does Sab Yang recommend?
Procreate for everything on iPad. Custom brushes maintain consistent style, time-lapse recordings turn process into content, layer system makes iterations fast. Affinity Designer handles technical diagrams on desktop. One-time purchase beats Adobe subscriptions for occasional design work that doesn't justify monthly fees.
Why does Sab Yang only use 5 apps?
Tools should enable creation, not become the project themselves. Each app handles something specific without overlap. No time wasted evaluating new task managers or rebuilding productivity systems. Just create, publish, repeat. Tried expanding the stack when testing tools for videos, always cuts back because extra apps just create maintenance overhead.
What makes Sab's tech stack different from other YouTubers?
It's stupidly minimal. Most tech YouTubers run 10-15 productivity apps. Sab runs five. The focus is visual creation and content workflow, not productivity optimization theater. Google Docs, Notion, GoodNotes, Procreate, Affinity Designer. That's the whole stack. Constraint forces focus on making stuff instead of managing systems.