I'm always struggling with choosing the correct icon for minimizing action. For ex: In accordions menu or on panels that can be minimized what would be the best icon :
An arrow that rotates like in OSX finder (right side/ deveices panel, for ex.)
A +/- button ?
The problem I have with the arrow is that one is often used as advanced menu (dropdown)
For ex. you've got them on firefox/ie/windows OS. It highlights the fact that this is not just a button but there is a dropdown menu that will come.
The problem of the +/- is that is often used for create/delete(remove)
Any ideas? suggestions?
Answer
I would definitely say no to the underscore, it is specific to minimizing a window, it also does not really have a reverse, what would you use for opening the surface back up.
Both Windows and OS X use the disclosure arrow/triangle/control in the situation that you are describing, it even occurs on the iPhone even though in that case it does not open up the subcontrol in place but changes the view
This set of controls is from the Microsoft UI Experience Guidelines while it contains the +/- icons all the other ones are arrows and triangles.
The appropriate Apple Document calls it the Disclosure Triangle
And as was already mentioned, the JQuery Accordion uses the same look for this kind of functionality.
In most of these cases the arrow rotates with the opening and closing of the hidden section
Regarding your worry that it is mistaken with the arrow that is used in the dropdown box, in most cases it looks completely different, but it also actually fulfills a similar purpose, in exposing a hidden view, even if the view is over the current content instead of inside the content.
If you do want to go with the +/- note that the way windows uses it is not just freestanding, it is on a graduated surface hinting to a button
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