A pushbutton user interface enables a user to preview the effect of activating a pushbutton of the interface before the pushbutton is activated. The pushbutton user interface can be implemented so that an input (preview input) to the pushbutton that does not produce an activation of the pushbutton is sensed and, in response to the sensed input, a preview is displayed that indicates the effect of activating the pushbutton. The preview input can be sensed using, for example, a force-sensitive resistor, potentiometer or strain gauge. The preview display can include, for example, a visual display, an audio display, a haptic display, or a combination of two or three such displays. The pushbutton user interface can be implemented so that the preview input and an activation input (i.e., an input that produces an activation of the pushbutton) are sensed as a result of an input to the pushbutton along the same axis or along different (e.g., orthogonal) axes.