Simplicity is key when creating a menu. Easily position your menu as a transparent layer and use hover effects to expand and display the menu links.
#menu {
overflow: hidden;
background-color: transparent;
width: 20px;
height: 100%;
position: absolute;
top: 0px;
left: 0px;
}
#menu:hover {
width: auto;
background-color: red;
height: 100%;
}
.link {
margin-left: 20px;
display: block;
}
<div id="menu">
<a class="link" href="#">LINK</a>
<a class="link" href="#">LINK</a>
<a class="link" href="#">LINK</a>
</div>
Check out this demo to see it in action: http://jsfiddle.net/6cgZZ/
If you prefer to keep the menu locked in place, you can use JavaScript to trigger a mouseover event. Even in that scenario, using a transparent element as a trigger is recommended. With the Document Object Model (DOM), you can dynamically adjust the menu's properties such as visibility and width.